Brookside, 1954
by keepcalm.and.read
Summary: Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles are a thing of the past. They have both been married with families for years, but they are each struggling with their identities as housewives. Jane feels like the loneliest being on the planet, until the new neighbors move in. Jane not only gains a new friend, but finds herself seeking comfort in the woman's arms. AU set in the 1950's. Eventual Rizzles
1. Like Always

**Author's Note: Alright, so this is my first Rizzoli and Isle's Fanfiction. The idea just hit me to do this in the middle of the night. I have always had an odd fascination with the 1950's, and not just the pop culture aspect. I have actually done quite a bit of research on the stigma placed upon women in this time period. I hope that you like what I have so far. ****Let me know what you think of it. I appreciate comments and criticisms alike.**

**p.s. Brookside is the name of subdivision they live in.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles. Sad…**

Chapter 1

"Like Always"

Jane awoke to the feeling of her husband's cumbersome arm splayed across her rib cage, pinning her to the mattress. She began to feel a bit claustrophobic. She inched out from under his arm and crawled out of their bed. The sun had just begun to peep through the blinds, letting her know that she was right on schedule for the morning. She moved into the bathroom, the cool, white tile under her feet made her feel a little more awake.

When she moved in front of the mirror, she began to remove the curlers from her hair, as she did every morning. Half-asleep and moving as if she were in a dream, she removed each pin one by one, letting her hair spill across her shoulders. She studied her hair in the mirror to ensure that every curl lay as it should. This was without question the worst part of the morning. In her mind, curlers were a vile, but necessary evil. With them, her scalp hurt and it added at least half an hour to her nightly routine, but without them her curls would be in one large knot all the time. She had read in a magazine when she was a teenager that she could tame her crazy curls by rolling the curlers a certain way. She tried it and lo and behold, it worked, to her delight and dismay. She had gotten pretty quick at it now, but it didn't make the process any easier.

She then eased out of her long nightgown and into the dress she had laid out for the day. Jane glanced in the mirror at herself and decided that she looked presentable. Ready to start her day, she moved into the kitchen and began pulling out the ingredients necessary to make pancakes, sausage and eggs. Her children needed to be up in thirty minutes, but that would be plenty of time to prepare their breakfast. She could make breakfast food in her sleep after doing it for so many years, day in and day out.

She began to crack an egg for the pancake batter. She felt the egg shell crack and she pulled the thin white shell apart, releasing the yellow goo into the bowl. She began to stir the batter. Her eyes focused on the sunrise peeping over the neighbors house across the street. The pink tendrils extended over the rooftops almost as a sign that everyone's day was beginning. Jane knew that sleeping children everywhere were being dragged from their beds to catch the school bus and every mother, same as herself, was awake in charge of everyone's morning. Everything was always the same. Breakfast, wake-up call, eat, work, school, dishes—every single morning since she had gotten married nine and a half years ago, life remained generally the same.

Jane finished breakfast and laid it out on the table. She then walked into her middle child's room, knowing that she was the hardest to wake up of the three of her children. She moved to her closet first, carefully selecting her light blue dress with what looked like pink floral ribbon around the bottom and the cap of the sleeves, her white sweater, her white fold-down socks, and her black Mary-Jane shoes. It was always easier to lay out Maggie's clothes and dress her herself. Maggie was her opinionated child, and experience had taught her to give her as few options as possible in the morning.

She sat down on the bed next to her and began running her fingers through her dark wavy hair. "Maggie, it's morning baby doll. School today." Maggie laid as still as a statue. Jane smiled, moving her hand down to her daughter's arms, rubbing her thumb across it.

"Angela Margaret…rise and shine. I made pancakes this morning."

Maggie shook her head and flopped onto her stomach. She should have known that wouldn't work. Maggie could care less about eating breakfast. Knowing that this would be a not-so-fun-Maggie morning, Jane rolled Maggie onto her back and slid her hands under her arms. Maggie knew what was happening and began to groan. Jane hoisted her up into a sitting position and slipped her nightgown over her head. Tears began to stream down Maggie's face, but Jane had been expecting them. She slipped her dress over her head and began to rock her gently.

"It's ok, honey. You're half ready to go to school now." Maggie turned her head into Jane's chest and let silent tears stream down her face. She knew better than to cry loudly or her father would come in and not be very happy at her for disrupting everyone's morning.

'Mommy, I'm cold." Jane just nodded, wrapping the blanket at the end of Maggie's bed around her sleepy child as she did every morning and carried her into the living room. She deposited her into the arm chair, instructing her not to go back to sleep. Maggie nodded, her eyes already drooping.

Jane shook her head, her routine only half-finished. She sidled down the hall into her sons' room, knowing that food was enough to pull her boys from their slumber. She laid out both children's clothes for the day at the foot of their beds and sat down next to her youngest son.

The five year old lay sleeping with his back side straight into the air. Jane loved when he slept like that. It reminded her of when her sweet cherub-faced son was an infant sleeping soundly in his bassinet. She rubbed his back and called his name softly.

"Richie, wake up baby. I made pancakes this morning." It took him a moment to stretch and rub his eyes, but then he was wide awake. She kissed his cheek and dressed him quickly. As soon as he was ready, he ran out into the kitchen to his normal spot at the table.

She then moved to the bed on the far side of the room where her oldest child lay peacefully. She watched him for a moment, his round face now thinning out. He was growing up and she knew it. She wished that he could stay here forever, safe from the world. She sat down on his bed gently, rubbing the spot where the back of his neck met the bottom of his raven hair with her fingertips. "Frankie, sweetheart, it's time to wake up. I made your favorite this morning," she said in a low voice. He grunted in response and pulled the covers over his head, shirking away from her touch.

"It's a school day. You need to be up in five minutes or you won't have time to eat breakfast. You want to go to school without breakfast, today?"

Frankie flipped over onto his back, pulling the covers down just enough so that his head would peep out. He was fighting sleep desperately, but his inner-turmoil over pancakes or sleep was evident. Jane laughed knowing how much her son loved to eat, especially breakfast.

She laughed lightly, snaking a hand under the covers to tickle him. "Be dressed and at the table in five." She leaned to kiss his forehead and he quickly wiped it off.

"C'mon Mom," he said with utter exasperation, "I'm not a baby."

She turned to look back at him from the door frame, "But you're _my_ baby. Get up," she shot back lovingly, eliciting a groan from her oldest son.

She then moved into her husband's room. He was easy to wake-up. She shook his arm lightly. "It's time to get up. Pancakes, sausage and eggs for breakfast." He nodded and she left the room, knowing that he would pull himself from the bed.

When she moved into the kitchen, Frankie and Richie were already seated at the table fork in hand. Maggie was curled into the arm of the chair trying desperately to stay awake.

"Maggie," Richie yelled to her. "It's pancake time!."

Maggie sat up just far enough to send him an evil glare before sinking back into the cream colored fabric. Jane tried to hide her smile and shook her head. She really did love her children. She pulled her daughter from the chair, cradling her in her arms. Maggie laid her head on her shoulder and Jane patted her back softly.

"You need to wake up before your Daddy comes out to eat. He won't be very happy if you are falling asleep at the table," she half-whispered.

She felt Maggie nod her head as she lowered her into the chair. All three children waited for their father until they touched any of the food. Jane wasn't the only family member who followed the routine. Jane folded Maggie's blanket and placed it back on the foot of her bed. She grabbed all three children's socks and shoes and carried them to the front door. As she did every morning, she moved to the table and began to make a plate for Richie, cutting up the pancake into more manageable pieces.

Richard came out dressed in his work suit just as Jane was cutting the last strip of pancake. He smiled at her and kissed each child's forehead before he sat down. He gave Maggie a small hug, knowing how hard it was for her to stay awake in the mornings. The children made their plates in relative silence. Frankie began to douse his pancakes in syrup. Jane opened her mouth to scold him, but Richard beat her to it.

"Frankie, that's enough, son. You'll get sick from all of the sugar."

She put her head down to the table and waited until everyone had food on their plates and then made her own. She focused on the golden pancakes resting on her plate more than anything in the room. She knew that the conversation between her husband and children was relatively the same as yesterday, and they day before that, and the day before that. She tuned them out, instead focusing on anything else.

She had made the pancakes a little differently this morning, not that anyone would notice the subtle change, but she knew it and they were different none the less. She had to break up the monotony of her day somehow. Unfortunately, a half of a teaspoon of cinnamon was the way to do it.

"Jane, you look beautiful this morning. Did you sleep well?" Jane was a tad bit startled by his voice. _My turn now, I guess._ The children fell silent, knowing to be quiet once both parents began to interact.

"Thank you. I did." She didn't know what else to say. She wanted to bring up the fact that he was crushing her rib cage in bed this morning, but she let it go. Her eyes fell back to her plate. She knew she needed to keep up her end of the conversation, if not for anyone but her children.

"I was thinking of making roast beef tonight. I had planned on something with the chicken in the fridge, but I thought roast beef might be nice. I know how you like it." She smiled lightly, trying to feign normalcy as she struggled with her day-to-day routine.

"That sounds delicious. Do you need any money?" He said between a large bite of pancake and egg.

"No, I have some in my purse. I should be ok." He nodded, not letting the conversation taper.

"You know the new neighbors are moving into the Johnson's house today. I don't know what time the movers will be here, but it will be some time this morning. You have the best view of the sidewalk in the neighborhood. Be sure to collect details. I'm sure the women in your sewing club or whatever will be interested in the family. I know how you women like to gossip." He let out a hearty laugh, elbowing Frankie as if they shared some sort of male bond over the sexist quip.

"I don't gossip," she wanted to say, but she fought the urge, swallowing it down with a sip of coffee. She merely smiled and nodded.

"I heard that it's a doctor and his wife and child. I don't know why a doctor would be moving in next to us. His salary is without a doubt bigger than everyone's in here."

Jane let his voice taper back into the background focusing once more on the cinnamon in her pancakes.

By the time breakfast ended, Maggie was her alert, talkative self. Richard left almost as soon as he finished eating and kissed them all goodbye before pulling off in the family station wagon. Jane helped Richie put on his shoes, delegated a light sweater to each child, and braided Maggie's dark hair away from her face. All three children were out of the door right on time. Jane waved to them as they met up with the other neighborhood children to walk the block to school. That was one of the main reasons Richard had decided to purchase their house in this subdivision. The children could walk and "learn to be more independent," he said. Jane still wanted to walk with them, especially since Richie was only five, but she always fought the urge and turned back inside to do the morning dishes, like always.

**So I'm interested in everyone's reaction. Let me know if you feel like this could go somewhere. I definitely have most of it planned out and have a lot written.**


	2. The Neighbors

**Author's Note: I'm so glad to find that I am not the only one interested in this topic. I hope that I will be able to explore it effectively through this fic.**

**F.Y.I. - Maura is introduced in this chapter. The next chapter will provide much more insight into her life.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles.**

Chapter 2

"The Neighbors"

Jane cleared away all of the dishes and began to wash them in the sink as she did every morning. Everything was always the same, almost no changes whatsoever. Of course, her routine altered a little with every time that she brought another child into the world, but not for very long. Her family would form a new pattern almost as soon as it changed

Now that all three children were at school, she found her routine to be more constant than ever before. It was driving her positively mad.

_How is it possible to be so lonely when you are always surrounded by people? _

She began to stare out of the window once more. The sun was now completely up and beating down onto the pavement. It was spring, a beautiful time. Her and her family had spent seven springs in this home, and each one looked the same. She glanced around at her neighbors homes. _Even the way the grass grows here is the same. _The monotony had been wearing on her for years.

Jane sighed, focusing on scrubbing the syrup from Frankie's plate when something in the window caught her eye. "The new neighbors…" she whispered into the empty kitchen.

She stared intently, waiting to catch a glimpse of anyone in the family. She craned her neck a little to the left. Someone was getting out of the driver side door, but a tree was blocking her view. She squatted just a little, trying to see. "I am ridiculous," she said aloud. But she never took her eyes away.

A man took a few large steps up the side walk with a big smile on his face. "He has a beautiful smile," Jane couldn't help but think. He was dressed in a nice navy suit with a red and navy tie. His hair was a light brown color. It reminded Jane of the sand on the beach.

She had been one time when she was eight. Her whole family drove to the beach when her and her brothers were small. "Before the war…" she thought.

She had been a teenager when the United States entered the War; fifteen years old, in fact. Her brothers had been thirteen and ten. Her father enlisted and was sent to the Pacific front, the most dangerous place to be. Nine months after he was deployed, they received word that he had been killed. The family hadn't been the same since.

Frankie, her son, was named in his honor. Richard had agreed to renege the tradition of naming the first born son after the father, but only because he had known Jane's father personally. The beach had been such a wonderful vacation.

She was already pleased with the neighbors. In an indirect, odd way her day had been made by that memory.

He stared at the house for a moment, beaming. Jane wondered where the rest of his family was. As if he heard her, he turned and opened the passenger side door of their vehicle and began to help a largely pregnant woman from the seat. She also wore a big smile as she looked upon their new house. He watched her closely as she studied every detail. He kissed her forehead gently and she placed her hand on his cheek, mouthing something that Jane could not make out. They looked so loving; something that Jane and Richard did not. She would think that they were newlyweds if she didn't know that they had a school-aged child already.

The woman took a few steps up the walk as her husband opened up the back door to retrieve what Jane assumed to be their child. While she was curious about the child and the husband, her eyes remained on the woman. Her hair was golden, not sandy, but golden. Jane noticed how it fell in perfect waves around her shoulders and Jane wished that hers could ever look like that. Hers was too unruly and never looked kempt. She had been given grief for her curls her whole life, never even really given a chance to try to like them.

The woman had large eyes that seemed to be very expressive and bright. Jane couldn't seem to look away from them. _She looks so kind and sweet._

She was dressed in a very nice dress, something much more expensive than Jane or probably anyone on the block could ever afford, but she did not look out of place somehow. Jane idly wondered how she did that.

The woman began to look around the neighborhood at the surrounding houses. Jane knew she should look away. Who wants to look up and see their invasive neighbor being nosy in the window? No one, and Jane knew it, but she couldn't tear herself away. She was enamored by this new family and how genuinely perfect they looked.

The woman absently rubbed her swollen abdomen as her husband wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head lightly. The little girl was obviously chattering on and on about something in her father's arms and he was gladly engaging. Jane watched the child for a moment, noticing that she looked like a copy of her mother. From a distance, it looked as if all of their dominant facial features matched. The little girl was gesturing wildly in pure excitement. "I wonder if she gets that from her mother or father," Jane wondered aloud to herself.

She found herself wanting to know these people. She couldn't help but wonder who they were and how they interacted with one another. "Maybe they are truly happy," Jane thought to herself. For some odd reason, she wanted to know the woman standing across the yard. She yearned for a female companion, something she hadn't had since she became Mrs. Richard Reed. This woman looked like the kind of person you want to become friends with.

"I'll take them some kind of basket to welcome them to the neighborhood once the get settled in. It would only be polite," Jane murmured into the silence of the kitchen as she scraped the remaining traces of egg from the morning skillet.

**The next update will be up very soon. Thanks for reading. I'm always interested to see everyone's opinion. Let me know what you think so far.**


	3. Unrequited Dreams

**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Sorry the last chapter was so short. I originally had this chapter and the last together, but then I made the Maura part really long, so I separated them.**

**Oh, and I realize that Maura seemed very happy and content in her world in the last chapter. But she is not, and this chapter shows it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles.**

Chapter 3

"Unrequited Dreams"

Maura walked into the front door of her new home, relieved that the movers had already set everything up. She gazed around committing everything to memory with a smile on her face. Of course she had seen the house before, but everything was bare when she had come to look at the house with Joseph. Then, it had made her feel empty, now it felt like a home—a new place to start over.

She could hear Evelyn chatting incessantly behind her. Maura turned to face her ecstatic daughter. She watched as her face bounced from expression to expression so quickly, evidence of all of the emotions that seemed to be running through her tiny frame. Maura felt the overwhelming urge to walk right over and pull her into a big hug, but she refrained.

Joseph caught her staring and knew exactly what was happening. He smiled goofily at her, making him look exactly like a schoolboy on the playground.

Her heart felt like it lifted for a moment, like it used to when he looked at her, before…before the incident. Her heart dropped at the thought. She focused on anything else in the room and began internally naming the periodic table of elements, a trick she had learned with much practice.

With her emotions at bay, she moved down the hallway into her bedroom. _Just like I wanted_. She ran her hands over the small mirrored vanity. The room felt so open and airy.

"I want it to feel like a fresh start, a clean slate," she had told the designer who helped furnish the room.

She was so glad that Joseph had allowed her to use a designer. She could have never made the house so perfect. Using the designer had allowed her to take her emotions and channel them into their new home. At first she was skeptical, but now she felt that it was perfect and she would not have it any other way.

Maura was never very good with the abstract. Concrete facts and laws were what made sense to her.

She went to the window on what she assumed would be her side of the bed, and opened it. The rush of fresh air seemed to lift her spirits even higher.

"I'm going to be ok," she whispered in an attempt to convince herself of the fact.

She took one more look around. She was already in love with the new house.

She walked into the nursery. A simple white crib and changing table sat to the right and a small rocking chair with a hand stitched quilt on the back sat in the other corner. All of the small pieces of clothing that Maura had carefully sewn were hanging in the closet. She walked over to them, allowing her fingers to graze the fabric lightly.

It was hard to believe that soon she would produce a body tiny enough to fit into these clothes. No matter how many children she had, she did not think that she would ever get over that thought.

Joseph walked into the room quietly. He watched her intently, knowing exactly what she was feeling.

"Not too much longer."

Maura spun around, not knowing he was there. She was almost embarrassed that he had caught her in this moment.

"Hard to believe," she said in a voice that did not feel like her own.

He moved to her, wrapping her in a hug. "You like the house?"

She was grateful that he had left some things unsaid.

"I love it. It's perfect."

"My parents want to come over and see it on Sunday. Would that be ok with you, or should I tell them that we need more time to be settled?"

She pulled out of his arms slightly. "No, that should be fine. I would love to show off the place."

He laughed and smoothed her hair back.

"They all think we're nuts for moving here." He glanced around the room slightly.

"I just don't want a big house. This is all we need. We have enough room for both children and us. I think it's perfect, don't you?"

Maura thought of all of the lavish homes her parents had purchased through the years. She felt so alone, so disconnected from everyone in them. Being in this home with her family made it feel more comfortable and homey. Less like she could disconnect from the world.

"I do. It's perfect."

He placed both hands on her cheeks, leaning into kiss her gently.

"I really do love you, Maura. You and Evie make my life whole."

She smiled, knowing that this is what every girl wanted, but not being able to completely appreciate it. _But I'm not whole._

"I love you, too."

He smiled, turning to leave her alone once more, respecting her space.

She sighed, leaving the room only after she was sure that Joseph began had picked up a new task elsewhere. She walked into Evelyn's room and found her lining up all of her dolls in a row on her new toy box.

"You want to take a walk with me? We could look at all the new flowers in the yard."

Evelyn smiled and nodded rapidly, causing her blonde braids to flap against her shoulders. She bounced over to Maura and grabbed her hand.

They walked through the living room and out of the back door. Maura noticed the patio furniture and immediately began to think of how wonderful it would be to sit out with a book and enjoy the sun.

Evelyn let go of Maura's hand, immediately running to the metal play-set. _Joseph must have bought her that._

Maura smiled as Evelyn bounced up and down.

"Mommy, mommy! I love it! Can you play with me?"

"I would if I could sweetheart, but my big belly won't fit."

Evelyn was not phased. She scurried up the ladder and ran across the bridge to get to the slide.

"Come catch me!"

Maura laughed and wished for half the energy that Evelyn had. She moved to the end of the slide and angled her body sideways to avoid getting kicked.

Evelyn squealed as Maura placed her arm out to catch her. She stopped her at the bottom of the slide and began to tickle her. She relented when her face began turning red.

"I would like to go again, Mommy. Will you stay and catch me?"

Maura's back was already aching slightly, but she didn't want to tell her no.

"Yes baby, go back up. I'll catch you. And be mindful of your skirt in that dress. You don't want it to fly up. You are a lady after all."

Maura knew that's what she was supposed to say to prepare her daughter for society, but another part of her loved seeing her child so carefree. She didn't want to be the one to steal that from Evelyn.

Evelyn darted to the ladder. Maura heard the back door open. She turned and noticed Joseph carrying a large box. She placed one hand above her eyes and squinted, trying to see which box he held in his hands.

"You love your play-set, Evie?" He called out to the little girl.

"Yes, daddy! Thank you!"

"Your welcome. I saw it and knew that you would love it. Don't wear mommy out too much. Remember the baby, ok?"

Evie half-nodded. She was too busy running across the bridge to care about anything else.

Joseph re-focused his attention on Maura.

"These are the medical texts. Where would you like for me to put them?"

"The shelf in our bedroom is where I had originally intended for them to go. What do you think?"

He nodded. "I think that's fine. Not to disrupt your play time, but I just want to remind you that I do have to go back to the hospital tomorrow. I couldn't get another day off. So if you need my help with anything around here plan on doing it this evening or tomorrow evening."

She felt her heart sink, not because he was going back to work and she would miss him, but because he was able to go to work at all. She felt the familiar pang of resentment towards her husband rise inside of her once more. She pushed it down, nodding at him in return.

"Evie, this is the last time, honey. My back is beginning to ache."

Evie nodded, zooming down the slide with a loud squeal.

Maura could only think about what her husband had just said. _It's not fair of me to resent him because he gets to work. I get to stay home and be with Evie, and soon the new baby. That should be enough for me._

But she couldn't convince herself of that. Her thoughts wondered back to the textbooks and her two years of college…her dreams. She couldn't keep her negative thoughts away. The internal conflict that always waged within her had followed her to the new home, but she wasn't surprised. She had expected it to.

She imagined that her dream of becoming a doctor would never simply; "go away" as her parents said it would upon "becoming a respectable wife with children of her own." Her parent's words made the bile rise in the back of her throat. _This is not what I wanted._

All of her unused potential lay dormant inside of her, while her husband was able to go out and live her dream with only half of what she had.

Maura caught Evelyn, and then slowly walked to the patio. She sank into the chair and sighed, drowning out the sounds of Evie's laughter in the background in order to play through her dreams in her head as always.

"Maybe things will be better here," she had thought to herself before moving. Now, she wasn't so sure.

**See why I had to split up the chapters? I couldn't stop writing the one about Maura. I hope you all enjoyed it. I had a blast writing it, even if it did kind of consume my life for twenty four hours. Anyways, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Confessions to a Stranger

**Author's Note: They meet in this chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rizzoli and Isles.**

Chapter 4

"Confessions to a Stranger"

Jane let two days pass before she felt like it would be ok for her to introduce herself to her new neighbor's. Well, neighbor…singular. She had actually waited until she knew that her husband and daughter would be at school to walk over.

In the past couple of days, Jane had learned the names of the household members. Dr. Joseph and Maura Thomas were their names. Their six-year old daughter was named Evelyn, but Betty from across the street said that she had heard Maura refer to her daughter as "Evie" in when they were out in the yard on Tuesday.

The women gushed over the new family on their regular weekly Tuesday night get-together. Jane, who truthfully did not gossip, actually listened as they chattered this time. She was just as interested as everyone else, perhaps if not more. She really wanted to reach out to this woman and become friends.

Jane craved companionship, probably even more so now that she was home alone for the majority of the day. The other women in the neighborhood were nice enough, but Jane could only handle so much of them. They were gossipy, which bothered Jane, so she kept them at arms length. Maura seemed different. "She had very kind eyes," she had told Richard that night before bed. Of course, he laughed at the idea, but Jane knew that he was just was interested in the family as she was.

Yes, the gathering had provided many details that may or may not have been true. The women talked of the furniture that they had seen being hauled inside before the family arrived, or what they saw Maura wearing, or how often Joseph went to work, or more importantly, the fact that they owned two cars. That was unheard of in their subdivision.

The people who inhabited the Brookside community were not wealthy, but they made due with what they had. They were all middle-class workers with comfortable positions. "Living the American dream," Richard liked to say. Sometimes, Jane wasn't sure if she was included in that statement at all.

She had only taken information that felt concrete and waited until it was proper timing to call on her new neighbors.

It was close to noon when Jane walked over, a homemade apple pie in her hands. She climbed the two concrete steps that led to the porch and knocked on the door. It took a moment for someone to respond, but soon enough the door opened and Maura stood with a very polite smile plastered to her face. Jane noticed that she looked tired and her eyes may have been a touch red, but she automatically assumed that was from the pregnancy. Jane smiled and held out her hand.

"I'm Jane Reed. I live next door." Maura smiled and took her hand to shake it.

"Very nice to meet you, Jane. I'm Maura Thomas." Maura's smile never faded. She noticed the basket and released Jane's hand.

"Is that for me? You really shouldn't have."

Jane flipped the towel back, revealing the still warm apple pie in its tin. "On behalf of the block. We want you all to feel welcome."

"Well that is very kind of you. Would you like to come in?" Maura took a step back, angling her body so that Jane could fit through the doorway.

"I would like that very much, actually." Jane followed Maura into the kitchen, noticing the lavish, yet homey decorations throughout the house. She was completely taken aback. Maura motioned to a chair across the kitchen. She sank down onto the dark wood and watched as Maura moved to the stove.

"How about some tea or coffee to go with the pie?" Jane nodded and smiled as best as she could.

"Tea sounds wonderful."

"You know, I probably shouldn't eat a piece of pie for lunch, but I have been craving carbohydrates lately," Maura said as she set the kettle onto the stove. She moved over to the chair across from Jane and sank down into it.

"That's part of the reason I decided to make these." Jane watched as Maura's face contorted into a look of confusion.

"Well, not that I knew you were craving…carbo…that, but because this is what I craved the whole time I was pregnant with all of my children. I know everyone's cravings are different, but something about an apple pie that just makes the world seem okay."

Maura smiled and nodded. "It smells wonderful. Mind if I have a slice now?"

Jane looked down at the pie and then back at Maura quickly.

"Oh yeah, of course, have as much as you like. It's all yours." Jane flipped the towel back once more and slid the basket a little closer to Maura.

"I don't know about that," she laughed, "I'll try to limit myself to a small sliver." She took a small bite and smiled.

"Oh, it is delectable, Jane. You really didn't have to go through the trouble of making it."

"I've been baking for so long it feels like nothing. I'm glad that you like it. So how far along are you?"

Jane was interested in learning more about Maura and her family.

Maura placed her hand on the top of her stomach. "Approximately 32 weeks."

Jane nodded. "Not much longer then. And you have another child, right?" Jane feigned ignorance so Maura wouldn't know just how much the neighborhood was talking about her.

Maura nodded. "A daughter."

"How old is she?"

Her lips curved into a smile as she finished chewing. "Evelyn is six. She'll be seven soon. Why don't you have some? It is delicious."

She pushed the tin closer to Jane. "Don't make the pregnant woman eat alone." Maura laughed and her whole face lit up.

_I was right. She expresses everything through her eyes_.

She cut a slice, placing it on the plate Maura had given her and took a bite. She had to admit, she was a pretty good cook.

"There you go. Now I don't feel nearly as indulgent. You have two sons and a daughter, don't you?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" _Looks like I'm not the only one who has been spying._

"Oh," Maura placed her hand over her mouth as she chewed. "I was in the yard the other day when they returned from school. I should have mentioned that. What are their names?"

"Their names are Francesco, Margaret, and Richard, but none go by their given names. Everyone calls them Frankie, Maggie, and Richie."

The kettle began to whistle and Maura rose slowly from the kitchen chair.

"Oh, how adorable! I can't wait to meet them, neither can Evelyn. She loves making new friends."

She pulled the kettle from the stove and pulled two cups from the cabinet to her right. Jane watched as she carefully placed two tea bags in the cup and poured the water over them. Jane noticed how light and delicate her touch was, as if she felt that everything she touched would break if she were not careful.

"Actually, Evelyn does not go by her given name, either. We call her Evie."

"That's one of the sweetest names I have ever heard," Jane said as she took the cup from Maura.

Maura sank back down in the chair. "Thank you. Joseph and I both liked it very much. How old are your three?"

"Frankie is eight, Maggie is six, and Richie is five," Jane smiled as she began to bob her tea bag up and down into the scalding water.

"Oh, so this is your first year with them all in school. How is that?" Maura began to mimic the motion with her tea bag.

"They are. It's different…and quiet." Jane smiled but the smile faded the more she thought about her home life.

"I bet it's nice to have some peace and quiet now. They are all relatively close together in age."

Jane found it hard not to tell this woman who seemed so trustworthy and kind everything that she had been feeling lately, but somehow she managed. She contorted her feelings into a smile.

"It's just a change. My life was so hectic for awhile, and now it's almost as if I have nothing to do. I find myself cleaning things that have already been cleaned earlier in the day just because I have run out of things to do."

Maura seemed to brighten up more so than before. "Well now you have something to do. You can come over and chat with me during the day. Or we could run our errands together. I always find going to the grocery store to be especially lonely. I would very much like someone to go with."

There it was. Jane knew that this woman needed a friend just as much as she did. She wanted to go over and hug her for that.

"That sounds wonderful. It will be nice to be around someone who doesn't call me, 'Honey,' or 'Mommy.'"

Maura erupted in laughter. "I know exactly what you mean. It would seem as though I have undergone a name change since Evelyn was born. Sometimes I find myself not answering to 'Maura,' because I'm not used to hearing it."

Jane joined in, laughing harder than she had in awhile. "Yes! I did that in the supermarket the other day! No joke, the woman down the street, Mrs. Thorne, you'll meet her eventually, called to me in the meat aisle the other day and I just stood there. She had to all but yell, 'Jane!' three times to get my attention."

"That very same thing happened to me with my mother about a month ago! She found it completely absurd."

Maura cleared her throat through her laughter, but her tone dropped slightly. "You know, it's like one day you're a teenager running around having fun, and then next day you are married with children."

Jane nodded, knowing exactly the sentiment. "Big change from the backseat bingo days in high school."

Maura stared at Jane for a moment. Jane noticed the confusion.

"Backseat bingo means, you know, like necking…in the back of the car. Didn't you ever do that?"

Jane suddenly felt stupid for saying something so crass. Maura was way too proper to know what that meant.

Maura began to laugh once more. "Of course I did. I have just never heard it called that before. I've never been very good with slang."

The women's laughter echoed throughout the kitchen. They could not stop laughing. Both knew a void was being filled. They needed to laugh, they needed to feel better, and they were there to help each other out.

Maura's face grew serious. "Is this what you always envisioned yourself doing, Jane? Becoming a mother and…a wife, I mean."

Jane stared into her cup, searching for the answer, grappling for the words to explain how she feels about her situation.

"Trapped," is how she wanted to explain it, but she decided that she probably shouldn't let on so quickly about her unhappiness; especially when this woman across the table from her seemed so comfortable in her own life.

"I guess I kind of did. I started dating Richard our second year of high school, even though I had known him forever, we grew up on the same block. We got married because that's…just what you do. You graduate and you get jobs and get married. And then I got pregnant with Frankie not long after we were married. What else would I have done?"

Jane contemplated asking Maura the same question. She was interested, but of course, she assumed the answer would not be an unhappy one.

"Did you always see yourself as a housewife?" Jane decided to ask.

Maura was taken aback by the question. She should have known better than to ask that question, knowing that it would be returned. Some part of her was hoping that Jane was happy. She needed to hear happy stories more than anything right now.

Tears began to well up in her eyes as she thought of how to evade the truth. She was physically incapable of telling a lie, and her sudden rush of emotion was blocking her thought processes. She couldn't come up with anything, so the truth just stumbled out.

"Not at all." She stared down at her fingernails, fidgeting slightly as her eyes began to fill with tears.

Jane nodded not knowing how to respond. She never expected such an emotional response. She just waited silently for Maura to continue. Tears spilled over, cascading down Maura's pale cheeks.

"I'm sorry, there's just a lot going on right now, with the move and the baby." Maura's voice caught at the end of her sentence. Jane's maternal instincts took over. She reached across the table, placing her hand on top of Maura's fidgeting ones.

"It's ok. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Maura shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know this was going to happen."

"Hey, it's ok. We don't have to talk about it."

Maura nodded, and smiled at Jane, flattening her palms in Jane's hands.

"Thank you."

The two shared a smile. Maura gave Jane's hands a light squeeze before pulling away to wipe away the tears that were resting on her cheeks.

"I have really enjoyed your company, Jane."

"I can honestly say the same, Maura."

Jane stood to leave and Maura followed.

"I'm serious about the supermarket thing. I don't want to go alone." She smiled brightly, almost as if the previous crying spell never existed.

Jane nodded as she made her way to the front door. "We will go. How about tomorrow afternoon? Frankie's birthday is this Friday and I need to pick up a few things for the party. You all are more than welcome to come, if you'd like. You could meet everyone."

"I think that would be delightful. We'll be there."

Jane smiled and Maura wrapped Jane into a hug, startling Jane slightly.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Jane."

Jane nodded against her shoulder. "The same to you."

They smiled one last time at one another and Jane began to walk over into her yard.

Maura watched from the window as Jane strolled away. The light spring breeze whipped at her curls and Maura had a fleeting thought of how beautiful her new friend was. She remembered studying each child as they walked home, noticing all three's aesthetic beauty. She could see where it came from now.

All three had the same face structure as Jane, along with their dark hair, eyes, and complexion. Maura had never seen their father, but upon seeing Jane, she was positive that her DNA had reigned supreme with all three children.

Maura turned from the window when Jane was out of sight and walked into the kitchen. She picked up the cups and placed them in the sink. Her mind drifted back to their conversation.

_I can't believe I cried._

She shook her head and felt the emotion rising within her once more. She let the tears flow freely now, just as she always had when she was alone. She eased her body down against the cabinet, sinking to the floor.

She held her head in her hands and sobbed into the silence.

**I hope you all like it so far. :) Let me know what you think. I have the next chapter written, I just have to come up with a better ending and I will post it. Thank you so much for reading!**


	5. Getting to Know You

Chapter 5

"Getting to Know You"

Jane was in the middle of folding her last load of laundry for the day when she heard a knock at the door. She placed her son's shirt inside of the laundry basket and walked to the door.

She glanced through the peephole, not really expecting visitors, and was pleasantly surprised to see Maura standing on the other side.

"Hi, Maura. I was just about to walk over and see if you were still up for grocery shopping."

Maura smiled and nodded her head, walking inside of Jane's home.

"Oh, yes. I realized this morning that our food supply is limited. Joseph picked up a few things in the store after work on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough."

"You got your husband to go to the store? How did you do that?" Jane said with true surprise. She was pretty sure that Richard hadn't been inside of a grocery store since he worked there bagging groceries as a teen.

"I-I don't know. He always asks if we need anything if he's out and has time to stop. Is that strange?"

Jane's eyes grew wide. "I don't know a single man on the block who even goes into the grocery store."

Maura was a bit flustered now. She didn't realize that her family was different from any other, well in terms of domestic roles anyways.

"Oh…well I do most of the shopping, he just picks a few things up from time to time. Especially now that I am so close to my due date."

"Well that makes sense. My Ma came over and helped me out quite a bit when I was carrying all three of mine. Let me put this laundry away, and then we can go. It'll only take a sec."

Maura nods, watching her turn the corner before continuing to inspect the room. She noticed the paint adorning every wall, immediately recognizing it as begonia from the seemingly endless paint swatches her decorator had insisted she pore over. Her eyes shifted to the couch—a green, yellow, and pink floral mix that perfectly matched the walls.

To the left of the couch sat a cream colored lounge chair which was complimented by the dark wood of the bookcase immediately to its right. She walked over, running her finger along the spine of each book. A photo album piqued her interest. She picked it up, finding pictures from Jane's childhood.

_She was so adorable._

"Snooping are we?" Jane quips, startling Maura.

"Just trying to get to know you," she smiles.

_I wonder if college taught her to be so charming, or if it just happens._

"Find anything interesting?" Jane said, attempting to cover up what she had been thinking.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Like the begonia paint all throughout your living room."

Jane groaned. "Yeah…that's my Ma's doing. Decorating isn't really my thing."

"Is this her?" Maura said as she pointed to a picture of a smiling woman standing beside a car with three small children in front of her.

"Yeah, it was our first car…"

"1932 Ford Cabriolet," Maura chirped along with Jane.

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

"I like to read. Why do you know that?"

"My Pops had a thing for cars. I liked spending time with him; guess it kinda rubbed off on me."

"You all look so happy," Maura said gently rubbing her finger across the photo, hoping the emotion could transfer into her own life. Bringing herself back to reality, she closed the photo album and softly placed it back on the shelf.

"We can take my car shopping, if you'd like. That way we don't have to carry all of the groceries back."

Jane hadn't even thought of that. The grocery store wasn't far away at all, another perk of living where they did. Her family only had one car, so if she needed to shop while Richard was at work, she would just walk.

"That would be wonderful. Having another car must be a real luxury. I know there are days where I wished that we could afford another one. Especially in the summer with all of the kids running after me complaining about how bored they are."

Maura laughed, not really knowing what to say. The last thing she wanted is for her new friend to think that she felt anything but equal to her fellow neighbors in Brookside.

"What exactly does Richard do?" Maura asked as the two women walked across the yard.

"He's a lead sales rep at a local company. Nothing impressive." Jane didn't really know how to describe his position in more detail. Recently, she had found herself tuning him out whenever he spoke.

Maura slid gracefully into the driver's seat, closing the door behind her.

"Sales is actually a very impressive field. Recent studies have shown that a person's posture or even what color suit they are wearing can affect a consumer's willingness to purchase a product."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Jane laughed, plopping down into the car seat, slamming the door behind her.

"I can show you the studies. They are truly intriguing."

"Oh, no thanks. I meant I'll believe sales is impressive when…never mind."

Jane haphazardly kicked her heels across the floor board, noticing Maura's look of surprise as she did so.

"I…I don't know why I did that," she said, glancing at her disposed shoes. "I normally only do that when I'm alone. I hate heels."

"Oh…well, I'll take mine off too. At this point in my pregnancy, comfort becomes a necessity. My feet are really too swollen for these anyway."

Maura removed her shoes carefully. She checked to make sure that they were safely away from the pedals as she put the car in drive.

Jane laughed at the sight of Maura's shoes.

"I'm not usually this comfortable in front of other people."

"Neither am I, but you're proving to be quite the exception," Maura smirked in Jane's direction/

"So what exactly does your husband do? There are different kinds of doctors, aren't there?"

Maura nodded, uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"There are. Joseph is going to be a general practice physician. A family doctor, I guess is a more popular term. He's in his last year of residency at the hospital."

Jane nodded.

"Now, a doctor is a much more interesting position if you ask me."

Maura nodded, not really wanting to talk about his occupation. Jane sensed the lull, and began searching for a new topic.

"So do you have any names picked out for the baby, yet?"

Maura turned into the grocery store parking lot, happy for the change of discussion.

"Joseph wants a boy, I can tell. He wants to name him Albert Joseph after his father and himself, but I would much prefer Gregory or Wesley. I don't think I want to call him Albert or Joseph."

"You could call him Al or Joey. That's how we separated Richard from Richie."

"I guess, but can you imagine a toddler named Al?" Maura chuckled lightly.

They walked into the grocery store, each removing their lists from their purse and grabbing a cart.

Jane noticed the fellow shoppers staring at Maura, being nosy no doubt. She glanced over at her to see if she noticed, but she was too busy going over her list.

"What would Frankie like for his birthday?"

Jane laughed as she thought of her oldest son's confession to her last week.

"He asked for a box of Army men and a model airplane kit that could be 'just his, not Richie's. My children…" she said with an exasperated sigh.

"Sibling rivalry is very common, especially amongst children who are born relatively close to one another."

Jane turned to her laughing. "Do you just know everything about everything?"

Maura flushed slightly.

"No, I'm just…interested in most things."

"Oh, you learn all of these things on your own? I wouldn't even know where to find them."

Maura turned to examine the produce.

"You'd be surprised how many things you could find in your own home."

"In _your _home, maybe."

Maura reacted playfully, squinting her eyes and pursing her lips.

"You'd be surprised."

Maura had always been a little bit of an outcast because of her ability to spout out facts at random. It was like she couldn't control it. Her parents had told her to keep them to herself because men were not interested in hearing women talk in such a manner, but she honestly could not help it.

She pretended to closely inspect each and every strawberry, fervently hoping that Jane would think of something else to discuss. Then she realized that Jane may think that she was alienating her and didn't want to talk.

_I want her to be my friend._

"I went to college for two years, as well."

Jane's eyes grew wide. She didn't know of any girls from her high school that went on to college. It was unheard of.

"Really? What for?"

"My parents sent me so that I could…find a suitable husband." Maura placed her selection in the basket, moving on to the next item.

Jane noticed her hesitation in answering, but she was truly intrigued and wanted to know more.

"They paid all of that money so that you could find someone like Joseph?"

Maura nodded, really wishing that college and Joseph's position hadn't come up. She didn't want to cry in the middle of the produce aisle.

"I guess I've heard of women being sent to college, but I've never known one. No one I knew had the money."

It happened again. _Jane's going to tell everyone I'm a snob._

"Did you want to go?"

"Oh, very much. I had always dreamed of going."

"So you wanted to be a teacher or a secretary when you were little." Jane laughed at the thought of Maura holding class with her dolls and toys as a child.

"No," Maura answered simply as they moved onto the next aisle.

"Oh. What…"

Maura stopped pushing the cart, cutting Jane off mid-sentence. Jane stopped in confusion.

"Jane, I would rather not discuss this here. Would it be ok if we discussed this after we shop?"

Jane noticed that Maura's eyes were beginning to water. Jane patted Maura's arm lightly and nodded.

"Sure, I didn't mean to push you. It's just that I'm…"

A tear fell down Maura's cheek. She had never cried so much in front of anyone before. She didn't know what was going on.

Jane impulsively placed her hands on either side of Maura's face, brushing the stray tear with her thumb.

"It's ok. You can talk to me about whatever you need to later. And you can leave out whatever you like."

Maura laughed, placing her hand on Jane's forearm.

"I'm a mess. I'm really sorry."

Jane removed her hands and smiled.

"You don't need to apologize. I know all about rough patches."

Maura smiled thankfully, returning to her list once more.

"Maybe this will be a clean slate," she thought staring after Jane.

**I would just like to mention the fact that I was in Barnes and Noble working on this for literally **_**seven**_** hours yesterday. I am not kidding when I say that this is taking over my life! So many wonderful things ensue! And a very special shout-out to my very special friend (you know who you are) who helped me! I can't take all the credit, she gave me some fantastic ideas that I know you will all love!**

**Let me know what you think so far, and thanks for reading!**


	6. The Accident

Chapter 6

"The Accident"

Jane stood in her kitchen preparing a meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and carrots for her family. Jane's Thursday had proven to be very uneventful…surprise.

She flipped over the four chops in the pan, and checked on the boiling potatoes. She couldn't begin to count the times that she had made this meal.

_I could probably make it in my sleep._

Jane glanced outside to make sure that Frankie and Richie were ok. They were outside in the yard with Bobby and Johnny, the boys from across the street, playing a game of baseball. She watched as Frankie hit the ball into the air, a huge smile spread across his face as he took off for the small bush that had been designated as first base.

She smiled, remembering what it was like to be a child. She used to play baseball with her brothers every chance that she got. Never mind all of that ladylike business. Jane liked to play with the boys, much to Angela's dismay.

Jane stirred the carrots. She could hear Maggie and Evelyn giggling in her room. She placed the lid over the skillet to help the pork chops brown and ventured towards the noise.

The girls were sitting in the floor playing with several of her dolls.

_Maggie can be such a girly-girl._

"You girls having fun?"

Both girls nodded vigorously. They had become fast friends. Evelyn and Maggie were in the same class. They had only known each other two days, but they had spent every free hour that their parents would allow them together.

"We're playing 'Mommy.' This is Evie's baby. Isn't she pretty?"

Jane focused in on the baby doll that Evelyn was cradling in her tiny arms. She immediately noticed that it was the new doll that had been advertised a few months ago. Maggie had asked for it, but Jane had to tell her that it was way too expensive and might be able to get it for her birthday.

"She is. I love her outfit."

"My mommy sewed it especially for my new doll."

"Well it is beautiful. I love it. I'm going to finish dinner now. You girls play nicely."

"We will,"

"Yes, Mrs. Reed."

Jane couldn't help but laugh at how proper she was. _Just like Maura._

On her way back to the kitchen, she heard the sound of Richard's car pulling into the driveway. She moved to check everything on the stove once more, knowing that it would be ready any minute.

The sound of Frankie screaming stopped her. She ran outside to see what happened. Richard was running into the yard, his briefcase on the ground. Frankie was holding his head, blood beginning to ooze through his fingers. Richie stood stock-still in front of him, the wooden bat at his feet.

Richard grabbed Richie's arm. "Get in the house, now."

"It was an accident," Richie said panicked.

"House." Richard pointed his finger with a stern look.

Jane ran over to Frankie and Richard. She bent down, unsure of what to do.

"What happened? Did you see it?" she asked Richard.

"Richie let the bat swing out of his hands after he hit it. We have been telling him for weeks to place it on the ground before he runs, not throw it."

"We can talk about this later, _honey_," Jane seethed, bitterness seeping into her tone. She turned her attention back to Frankie, where it was needed most. "Ok, it's gonna be ok. Can you move your hand for me?"

Frankie nodded and moved his hand from his wound slowly. The release of pressure caused even more blood to gush. Jane, not wanting to freak out, placed her apron over it.

"Ok, it's not that bad. I'm gonna take care of it. I'll take you over to the Thomas'. He is a doctor, ok? He's going to fix you all up."

Frankie nodded, trying not to cry.

"Richard, can you stay with the kids? Maggie and Evelyn are in her room playing."

Jane began to walk across the yard, her left arm around him, keeping him close.

"Oh, and dinner is on the stove. Just move it all away from the eyes."

He nodded, turning back to the house quickly.

Jane made it up to Maura's door, knowing that this would look like something out of a crime scene. She knocked quickly.

"Maura?"

Maura heard the knock, rising from the couch in the living room. She could hear Jane's voice on the other side. Her thoughts immediately flew to Evelyn, hoping that everything was ok.

Maura threw the door open to find something much more horrific than she had anticipated.

"What happened?" she said. Jane wondered how on Earth she could be so calm in this moment.

"Frankie got hit with the bat. Is Joseph home?"

"No, but I can help him."

Jane ushered Frankie inside. She had hoped for Joseph, although she didn't really have a back-up plan at this point.

"Can you put him on the counter? I need to try to stop the bleeding so I can examine the wound."

Jane obeyed, lifting Frankie up with relative ease.

Maura brought over a handful of towels.

"Press these to the wound. The platelets need a chance to build up in order to form a clot. I'm going to get some other things that I might need."

Jane pressed the towels onto his forehead, smiling at him as she did so.

"You're being very brave, buddy. Mrs. Thomas is going to fix you up."

Maura entered the kitchen with an armload of supplies.

"Is it still bleeding?"

Jane peeled the towel back slightly. She could see blood seeping out, but no where near as much as before.

"I think it's getting a little better."

"Ok, good. I can hold them now if you'd like. You can wash up while we wait. I won't be able to see much if it is bleeding."

Jane nodded, walking to the sink to clean her hands. She turned the water on, noticing that the blood was not isolated to only her hands, but it continued to run down both of her arms.

_What a mess I've brought her._

Maura pulled the towel back, the wound no longer bleeding.

"Ok, Frankie I'm going to look at it first and make sure that everything is ok, and then I'm going to clean it with antiseptic and bandage it up for you."

Frankie nodded. He looked down, noticing how much blood he had on his clothes. Jane watched her son's face go completely white.

She leapt to his side, holding his hand as Maura began to examine the wound more carefully.

"The wound is actually only a little more than a superficial cut."

"What does that mean? Should I take him to the hospital?" Jane asked.

"It's not that deep. The head and face have a larger population of capillary veins than anywhere else on the body because the brain requires the most oxygen and blood flow. When the tissue is severed, more veins are cut, therefore more blood is lost than a cut to the arm or leg."

Jane stood slack-jawed. She could not even keep up with the words coming out of Maura's mouth.

_How does she know this?_

"I don't feel like stitches will be necessary. There will probably be a little swelling though."

Maura pulled the bottom of Frankie's eyes down slightly.

"I'm just checking your pupils, okay?" she said calmly to Frankie.

"Why are you doing that?" _The cut is on his forehead._

"Dilation is a normal pupillary response upon suffering a concussion. If he has a concussion he will need to go to the hospital for further medical treatment."

Jane watched intently, not really sure what was going on, but really glad that Maura knew what she was doing.

"So is he having a publi…or whatever it is reaction?"

Maura smiled softly, looking more closely at the wound.

"His pupils look fine for now. But you should watch them for a few hours tonight. Check every half hour maybe."

"How do I tell?"

"Come here," Maura ushered her over.

Jane moved in leaning her body almost against Maura's to look more closely at Frankie's eyes.

"The black part of his eye will be very large if they are dilated. It will look almost as if his eyes are black."

"Ok, so dilation is bad?"

"Well, not necessarily. Your pupils dilate quite frequently to adjust to light."

Jane sighed a little.

"So how can I tell what's normal and what isn't?"

"You will be able to tell. If they dilate, you will only see black. The iris, or the brown part of his eye, will be almost invisible."

"Ok, I'll check them." Jane moved back slightly allowing Maura to continue examining Frankie.

"Do you hear ringing in your ears?"

Frankie shook his head.

"What day is it?"

"Thursday."

"How old are you?"

"Eight," Frankie laughed slightly, "almost nine."

Maura turned to Jane to ensure that was correct. Jane nodded.

"Alright, Frankie. I think you're ok."

He smiled, but it quickly faded when he saw the antiseptic bottle.

"I hate that stuff! It burns!" Unwanted tears began to creep from his eyes.

Maura turned to Jane, not really sure how she normally calmed him down in these situations.

"You got hit in the head with a bat and hardly flinched and you're going to cry over the antiseptic, really?"

Frankie sniffed, drying his tears quickly. Jane knew that would get him.

Maura placed a little on the cotton swab and began to clean all around the wound.

Jane noticed Frankie's forehead crinkling as he tried to hide the pain he was feeling. She reached out for his hand and let him squeeze it.

Maura placed some gauze on the wound and taped it to his forehead.

"I'll send some gauze home with you. I would keep it on until Saturday morning. The wound might bleed a little tonight, but after that it will start to heal. The gauze will just keep it clean. Be sure to watch for vomiting, dizziness, slurred speech, or any forms of confusion."

Jane nodded, making a mental note to herself.

"Got it. I'll probably just call you if I feel like anything is off at all."

"Don't hesitate. It will be no problem."

Maura turned to Frankie and smiled.

"I think you're going to be ok."

"Thank you, Mrs. Thomas."

"You are more than welcome, Frankie."

Jane ruffled his hair and smiled at him.

"You did good buddy. Now let's go home and eat."

Frankie jumped off of the counter, out of the door and walking across the yard before Jane could say anything.

"He really likes to eat," shrugged Jane.

Jane hugged Maura tightly.

"I don't know how you know all of that, but thank you."

Maura smiled. "It was my pleasure."

"I can send Evie over if you'd like, but she's more than welcome to eat with us. I always make more food than I need."

"Whatever she wants to do is fine with me."

"I'm gonna go wash up now, I guess. But I'll ask and see what she wants."

Both women walked over to the door. Maura leaned against the open front door and smiled at Jane.

Jane placed her hand on her shoulder, a playful smile jumping to her lips.

"Wonderful job, Dr. Thomas. You know where to send my bill?"

"I most certainly do," Maura chuckled playing along.

Jane left and Maura pushed the door closed. She closed her eyes and pretended that it were true—that someone could really say, "Dr. Thomas" and not be referring to her husband. A smile came to her lips at the thought.

She moved into the kitchen to clean everything up, still imagining that her dreams really could come true.

Later that evening, after Jane had cleaned the kitchen and tucked each child into bed, she moved about the room preparing for a night of much needed rest. Richard sat in the corner of the room on the lounger in his robe and slippers reading the newspaper for what seemed like the eighth time that day. Jane knew he liked to be thorough when going over the events in the world, and said nothing.

"I think Frankie's going to be ok," she said as she turned out the bathroom light.

"Of course he will. You baby him too much."

Jane began to take off the bedspread, folding it and placing it in the window seat.

"You looked pretty concerned out there today, yourself."

"Sure I was, but I didn't check on him fifty times tonight, either. He stopped bleeding, he was bandaged, and it was fine." He laid another section down onto the end table beside him.

"Maura told me to keep a close watch on him."

"You were hovering. He's a boy. He can take it."

Jane began pulling the covers and sheets back, folding them perfectly down on both sides. She felt her blood pressure rise slightly. _As if boys have a higher tolerance for pain._

"That's my child."

"You baby him."

She straightened the pillows and walked to her side of the bed.

"You don't seem to mind when I baby you," she said almost sarcastically.

Richard flicked the top of the newspaper down so that he could see her.

"You think you baby me? I get up and work five days a week, nine to five to support the four of you, and you baby me?"

"I don't want to discuss this, Richard," she said off-handedly.

"Well, I do. Jane, I do everything I can to take care of you and the children. I put food in this house and clothes on everyone's back. I am the opposite of babied."

Jane crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin.

"You're right," she muttered.

Richard laid the paper down and climbed into bed next to her.

"I know I'm right," he replied as he switched off the lamp. The conversation seemed to be over, and she was thankful.

Jane thought back to all of the fights in the past. She used to fight back with all of the passion in her body, but now it seemed pointless. Why fight when it didn't change anything?

She sighed, adjusting her pillow slightly. Sleep began to take hold and she knew that tomorrow would be a big day.

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews. I love getting to hear everyone's reactions. It makes my day.**

**I do want to go ahead and inform you all that I will not be able to post the next chapter for a couple of days. It's tax-free weekend where I live, and my friend (the one who's been helping me) and I both work retail. Yes, you can imagine how my weekend is going. Anyways, I promise I will have the chapter out as soon as I can. It's going to be a big task to write it. Frankie's party is going to bring out tons and tons of things that you all will love. Hope you won't hate me for it. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Psychomaticorbiting Spatula

Chapter 7

"Psychomatic-orbiting Spatula"

The sound of running water pulled Maura from what had proved to be a relatively peaceful sleep. She turned her head into her arm in an effort to block the sun from her tired eyes, allowing herself only a moment before clambering off of the mattress.

She began making the bed, smiling to herself as the sound of Evelyn's splashing and squealing in the bathtub drifted down the hallway. Joseph was giving her a bath, like he did every morning to get her ready for school.

Maura moved into the bathroom to start her morning routine. She began by applying a little make-up and pinning her hair back away from her face. Joseph interrupted her as he entered the bathroom. He placed his hands upon her shoulders, kissing the side of her head as he did so.

"I'm glad you're awake. I couldn't wait to say good morning," he smiled, sliding his hands around her waist.

She looked at him through the mirror and smiled.

"Morning. She sounds especially enthused today," she said, motioning her hand towards the hallway.

"She's excited about school. That little girl loves to learn," he kissed her cheek softly, "just like her mother."

Maura smiled. "I'll be in shortly to pick out her clothes. I'm almost ready."

He nodded, turning his face into the crook of her neck, kissing it lightly.

"Evelyn is not the only one who is enthused this morning. Go before she makes a mess. I can hear her splashing," she said with a laugh.

He didn't move, just continued to kiss her neck.

"Joseph…" she said, her voice remaining gentle through her slight frustration.

He laughed and turned to leave. She returned to her morning routine. She dressed fairly quickly and moved to Evelyn's room. She chose her cream colored cap-sleeved dress with the sheer baby pink polka dot overlay and small lace collar. She pulled her cream colored patent Mary Jane's from the closet along with her baby pink lace socks. Picking out Evelyn's outfit was easily Maura's favorite part of the day. She laid it all carefully on Evelyn's already-made bed, knowing that Joseph would dress her.

She followed the happy sounds of her daughter, hovering in the doorway as she observed the pair. He had his hands in the water, claiming that there was a frog in between them.

"I know it isn't a frog, Daddy."

"And why are you so sure? You're surrounded by water, and frogs love water."

"This is a house. Frogs live in ponds or other bodies of water."

"Ah, so your argument is that this could not possibly be a frog because this is a residential area."

"Exactly," she nodded, smiling brightly.

"While your argument holds weight, I have to say that you are wrong. This is a frog."

"Mommy, tell Daddy that this could not be a frog."

Maura was only slightly disappointed that she had noticed her in the doorway. She walked over to the bathtub, leaning over Joseph to peer into the water.

"I don't know, Evelyn. I'm not sure I could conclusively state that there is not a frog in your father's hand without further investigation. I hate to guess based solely on your father's word."

Joseph shook his head at Maura, smiling.

He squeezed his palms together, the force causing water to squirt out at Evelyn from the small opening between his palms. She squealed in delight as it hit her right cheek.

"I told you it was a frog!"

"Daddy!" she squealed.

Joseph laughed, squirting her twice more.

"I still know it's not a frog," she said through her laughter.

He opened his palms, revealing that there was in fact, not a frog.

"You're just too smart for me, Evie."

"I know," she countered to Maura's surprise.

Joseph looked back at her, noticing the surprised look on Maura's face.

"Sassy this morning too, I see," he said.

"I've noticed. That's not very lady-like, sweetheart. Modesty is a key trait when regarding a true lady." She shook her head, secretly loving her daughter's approach to life.

Maura ignored her daughter's slight sigh. "What would you two like for breakfast?"

"Scrambled eggs!" Evelyn answered immediately.

Maura looked to Joseph for his opinion.

"I think bacon, eggs, and toast sounds delicious."

"But scrambled eggs, not the eggs with the yellow stuff," Evelyn interjected matter-of-factly.

"I'll be sure to scramble them, sweetheart. Don't worry."

Maura turned from the bathroom, thankful that breakfast would be fairly simple.

Just as she was placing the last piece of bacon onto the plate, Joseph entered the kitchen.

"Smells delicious, sweetie. She is dressed and waiting for you to fix her hair."

Maura nodded and moved into the bathroom to find her daughter standing patiently.

_She looks so adorable in that little dress._

Maura kissed the top of her head lightly and began to comb through her daughter's wet locks. She remembered how nervous that she was about having a child, about how she would be as a mother. But now, staring at her daughter's reflection in the mirror, all of those fears seemed trivial.

She pulled Evelyn's hair back halfway, leaving some of her curls to fall around her face. The pair moved into the kitchen for breakfast.

Joseph had made everyone a plate, and they all sat down at the breakfast table. For a moment it was quiet, save the sound of silverware clinking against the plates. It was enough time for Maura's thoughts to wander to the party that would be happening later that day.

"The Reed's little boy's birthday party is later this afternoon. Do you think that you could pick up a gift for Frankie later this afternoon? He's turning nine."

Joseph nodded in between bites. He knew that she would have no idea what to get a nine year old little boy for his birthday.

"I think I could manage that."

She pushed her eggs around her plate.

"I'm a little nervous about the party."

"Why? Because everyone will be there?"

Maura nodded, keeping her head down to the table.

Joseph laughed slightly. Maura jerked her head up in confusion.

"Maura, everyone is going to love you. They always do."

Maura saw Evelyn nodding vigorously out of the corner of her eye.

"I love you, Mommy."

Maura reached over, taking Evelyn's tiny hand in her own.

"That's very sweet. I love you too, Evie."

"Can I walk with Maggie today?"

Joseph answered before Maura had a chance. "No, I am driving you again today. Your mother and I will discuss the possibility of walking next week, but not until then."

Evelyn hung her head and stuck out her lower lip.

"It's your first week of school. I feel better taking you, at least for these few days."

She nodded solemnly.

"Go brush your teeth, sweetheart," Maura said as she rose to clear away the dishes, he followed, his plate and cup in hand.

Evelyn obeyed reluctantly. Maura made sure that their daughter was out of earshot before she voiced her opinion.

"Joseph, I really wish that you would let her walk with the other children," she continued hesitantly, "I just-I don't want the other children to feel as if she is any different from them…more privileged. I know what that's like."

He placed the dishes in the sink, wrapping her in a hug.

She turned her head against his chest, allowing herself this momentary comfort.

"She can walk next week," he whispered against her hair. "I just don't want to miss this time with our daughter."

_This is all that I ever wanted for my daughter, to be loved like I wasn't. _

"I'm so glad that Evelyn has a father like you."

"Don't sell yourself short. She's lucky to have a mother like you, and I'm lucky to have you as a wife."

She pulled away as Evelyn bounded into the kitchen, her school bag in hand.

"Alright, let's go."

Evelyn ran to the door. Joseph turned to smile at Maura.

"Thank you," she says in a half whisper.

Maura's day flew by. Despite Joseph's reassurance, she worried about the party for the better part of the day: her outfit, what to bring to the party, if she should go over and help Jane prepare, and if so, how early was polite and customary for someone you have only known for two days?

By the time Maura left to pick up Evelyn at school, she had decided on her mint colored dress, one of her favorite dishes, and arriving an hour early to help.

Evelyn played in her room quietly as Maura made sure that everything was together for the party. With so much time to kill, Maura found herself directing her nervous energy into unpacking a few boxes of books and organizing them by author and subject.

When the clock read 4:25, Maura packed up Evelyn and headed over to the Reed's.

The knock on the door startled Jane slightly. She was definitely not ready for anyone to show up for the party yet.

Jane swung open the door to reveal Maura and Evelyn.

"Hello," Maura said brightly, "Evelyn wanted to play with Maggie and I thought that you might need some help. I hope that's ok."

Jane nodded, taking the casserole dish in Maura's arms and opening the door to allow her guests inside.

"Actually, help would be swell. My Ma is supposed to be here soon."

"Oh good, I can't wait to meet her."

Jane laughed.

"She can be a bit much. Just a warning."

Maura wasn't exactly sure what Jane meant by that, but she didn't ask.

"Mrs. Reed, where is Maggie?"

"She's in her room playing. You can go back there if you'd like."

Evelyn nodded, turning on her heel towards Maggie's room.

"Just try to keep everything clean for the party."

"Yes, Mrs. Reed," Evelyn yelled back.

Jane set the casserole dish on the counter.

"How can I help?"

"If you could work on plating some of that over there, I'm going to hang this banner."

Maura nodded, turning to the counter full of various food items. She turned around, noticing Jane standing on the arm of the couch.

"Jane," she cried out in surprise.

Jane whipped her head around at the distress in Maura's voice, struggling to keep her balance.

"What, Maura?" the slight aggravation in her voice making Maura feel ashamed of her overreaction.

"I was only concerned for your safety. I assumed a much more stable piece of equipment would be used in this process."

"Like what? The couch is close to the wall."

"A ladder, or even a stepstool would suffice. With your natural height you would only need a few inches to reach comfortably."

Jane shook her head. "I'm fine, Maura. Seriously, I grew up with two brothers and I have three children. This is one of the least dangerous things I have encountered in my lifetime."

"Jane, a fall from that height could result in a pretty serious head injury."

"It's like two feet," she gestured to the ground, "never mind. I'm almost done anyways."

A knock at the door ended their conversation. Maura went to answer the door as if this was not only her second time in Jane's home.

Angela stood on the porch, her arms full of gift bags.

"Sorry I'm late. Couldn't find the shoes I wanted to wear with this dress," Angela lifted her head, surprised to see someone other than Jane at the door. "Oh, hello? I'm—"

"Jane's mother," Maura finished. "I can tell. Your facial structure is very similar to Jane's."

"You think so?"

"Oh yes, you both have very distinct angles in regards to your zygomatic arch and orbital sockets."

"Th-thanks," Angela replied.

"Uhm, Maura," said Jane from the couch.

"Yes," she said as the two women moved into the living room.

"We don't know what a psychomatic-orbiting spatula is, but _I_ don't think we have similar ones."

"They are facial bones. Cheek bones and the shape of your eyes."

"Oh," Angela laughed, "when you put it that way, we do look alike."

Jane rolled her eyes playfully, finishing the banner and sliding to the ground with little grace.

"So Jane, who's your friend?"

"Oh, Ma I totally forgot that you two haven't already met. This is Maura Thomas. She moved in the Johnson's old place earlier in the week."

Angela placed the gifts on the table by the couch and wrapped Maura in a hug.

Maura stiffened slightly, not accustomed to being in such close proximity with people she just met. She returned the hug, surprised that it was not as awkward as it should be.

"It's so nice to meet you. Janie needs a good friend."

"C'mon, Ma. You're making it sound like I haven't seen daylight in years," Jane remarked through gritted teeth. "But," she said smiling at Maura, "keeping her around isn't such a bad idea."

"Aww, thank you, Jane," Maura says unable to hide the elation that she is feeling.

Before Jane can respond to Maura's strange emotional reaction, the doorbell interrupts the conversation.

"Let the party begin…"

**Yay! I actually got a chapter of the party published! I hope you all liked it. It is taking me a long time to write because there is a lot of introduction going on. There will most likely be two more chapters of the party, and you're getting ready to meet the people of the block and Jane's family. I want to make sure I get everyone's characterization perfect. Darn my attention to detail.**

**Let me know what you think so far! :)**

**And I'm thinking about creating a poll (kind of like on the show with the text poll) where you would all be able to choose an aspect of the story. How would you all feel about that?**


	8. Consider It a Date

Chapter 8

"Consider It a Date"

At the sound of the doorbell, all four children barreled from their rooms to greet the first guest. Jane opened the door, revealing the Andersons.

"Aww, it's only the Andersons. They don't even have any kids to play with!" stomped Richie.

"Richie," Jane said, cutting her eyes at him, "apologize right now. That was very rude."

"Sorry Mr. and Mrs. Anderson," Richie muttered to the floor.

"All of you," Jane addressed the children. "Please go outside. I promise to send all of your friends to the backyard to play when they get here."

"Behave," Jane smiled and pinched Frankie's cheek, "and don't get too dirty."

Frankie grimaced slightly and groaned. "Yes, Ma."

"I'm sorry about that. I'm so glad that you could come," said Jane as she re-focused her attention on the couple waiting outside of her door.

They smiled politely, stepping into the living room. It was obvious that they felt awkward about being the first guests to arrive.

"Maura, this is Wilson and Cheryl Anderson. They live at the end of the street. Wilson works for Richard."

Maura shook their hands politely.

"I'm Maura Thomas. It's nice to meet you."

Wilson turned to Jane quickly. "Oh, I almost forgot…Richard is going to be late. Something happened at work that he needed to oversee. He wanted me to relay the message that he will be here as soon as he can."

_I forgot about Richard._

"Oh, thank you. I was worried when he didn't come home."

Angela entered from the kitchen. "So nice to see you both! Cheryl, is work going well?"

She nodded, shaking her auburn curls. "Oh, it's great. I think my boss is really enjoying me over the previous secretary. She was stuffy, and older. I mean not old, just…older than me."

Angela tried to be polite, even though everyone one knew that Cheryl could be a little pompous at times. "Oh, well that's good to hear."

Jane cleared her throat, trying not to laugh. "I have to go finish up in the kitchen. There's one more thing I need to do."

"I'll help you," said Maura, already following her out of the room.

Once in the kitchen, Jane began to set up the last few dishes to carry outside.

"They seem nice," Maura said as she lifted the dish from the counter.

"They are. They are just—different. Wilson can be a tad overbearing. I think he feels like getting in good with Richard will get him promoted, but other than that we enjoy their company. We don't see as much of them because of the age difference. Well, and they have no children."

The doorbell sounded again as Maura nodded in understanding. But before they could rejoin the others in the living room, four children barreled past them towards the back door.

"Oh," Maura exclaimed as they ran around her. "Who's children are they?"

"Walk, please," their mother's voice lifted over the sound of their footsteps.

Jane winced as the back door slammed shut.

"Brad and Jocelyn Davis," Jane replied. "Let's get this over with," she grabbed Maura's arm, pulling her into the living room.

Jocelyn pounced on Maura the moment she entered the room.

"Hello, I've heard so much about you. I'm so glad I'm finally getting to meet you," Jocelyn crooned, a thousand-watt smile spreading across her face.

Maura shook her hand, taken aback by her cheerful demeanor.

"I'm Jocelyn Davis, and this is my husband, Brad," she gestured to her husband, a very relaxed man. Maura noted his obvious disinterest in the party. She smiled politely at them both, not knowing what more to say. This woman had already claimed to know so much about her.

"Why don't we all go to the back yard while we wait for the other guests to arrive? I have everything set up."

The guests slowly made their way to the backyard, chatting and laughing along the way. "Jane! The decorations look positively lovely!" exclaimed Mrs. Davis. Jane followed her gaze to the balloons and handmade streamers lacing the patio before allowing herself the compliment.

_Ten years of being a housewife has taught me a thing or two after all. _

Everyone moved to the back. Jane, accustomed to holding these parties, had already set-up several different chairs and picnic tables to accommodate the guests.

Jane noticed the sound of Richard's car in the driveway. "You all make yourselves at home; I'm going to get a drink from the kitchen."

Richard entered the kitchen almost at the same time that she did. He gave her a quick kiss, before moving to the bedroom to change out of his suit. Jane opened a beer from the refrigerator and poured it into a thick plastic cup.

Outside, Jocelyn had decided to stay close to Maura, making her feel a tad bit uncomfortable.

"So how far along are you?" she all but sang.

"32 weeks."

"Oh, not far until little Evelyn has a sibling. I didn't put nearly as much room between mine, though. It was just the most amazing experience in the world, don't you think? It's just…unlike anything I've ever experienced."

Maura forced a smile onto her face and placed her hand unconsciously on top of her stomach. She began to look around for Jane.

"Evelyn is just so adorable," she pointed her out of the children in the yard. "I can tell which one she is because she is the only one I haven't seen grow-up since birth. She is a doll, and looks just like you. Although, I haven't really seen your husband—is he here?"

Maura shook her head. "No, he should be soon." She glanced around the yard once more, noticing that a few more families had arrived.

"Isn't he a doctor?"

Maura nodded tersely, wishing that Jane would re-surface quickly.

"He is."

"Oh, how wonderful. You must be so proud of him. I have heard you two make a lovely couple."

"Thank you," she said, hoping that she would not continue asking about Joseph's profession. "What are your children's names?" Maura felt pleased in successfully altering the topic of conversation.

"Oh, well that is Jared over there," she said pointing to the cluster of children in the yard. Maura was having trouble discerning which children were hers, so she continued to politely nod her head.

"He's my oldest. And then there's June and Jeffrey, the twins. And last but not least, Johnny."

"All names that start with, 'J,'" Maura observed.

"Yes, we really liked the idea of it. We should organize a play date for the children some time."

Maura glanced in the yard momentarily, noticing one of the twins pushing a child to the ground. She felt her body tense at the thought of Evelyn playing amongst the Davis children.

"We certainly should."

Jane walked back out onto the patio. Maura felt an instantaneous rush of relief as she resumed her position next to her.

The child on the ground began to wail, getting the attention of the whole party. Jocelyn looked over un-phased. The party watched as the older brother of the child on the ground began to stand up for his younger brother. The oldest of the Davis' children moved to defend his younger brother as well. Before any of the adults could intercept, Jared pushed the boy to the ground.

Jocelyn gasped, looking over to her husband. "Brad! Handle him, please!"

Brad stood, sighing to himself. "Jared and Jeffery, cut it out."

Jocelyn rolled her eyes and smiled to Maura. "Of course, I'm going to have to handle this. My children are so lively, Brad can't keep up with them sometimes. We will talk later." She turned her attention to her children. "Jared, Jeffery, come here right now."

Maura felt relieved as the woman walked away.

Jane took a sip of her drink, knowing that she could not get through the party without a little alcohol. Everyone seemed to be watching Jocelyn discipline her child, all knowing that no amount of discipline would make their children mind.

After about ten minutes, all of the guests had arrived. Jane began discreetly pointing out a few of the neighbors so that Maura would not go into every conversation blind-sided.

Maura listened carefully, wanting to make a good impression on each one.

Jane pointed to a woman across the yard.

"That's Margie. She knows everything about everyone."

Maura began committing her face to memory.

"That's why her hair is so big. It's so full of secrets."

Maura covered her mouth to hide her laugh.

"It's the truth. She is Betty's best friend." She pointed to the woman next to Margie. "You'll definitely meet her later. As a matter of fact, I don't know why she hasn't made her way over yet, actually."

Maura shrugged.

"Those are the Winters. They have two daughters, ten and fourteen." She pointed to the couple who was chatting with Betty and Margie.

Maura nodded with each new piece of information. She absently reached for Jane's drink, placing it to her lips and taking a small drink. The bitter taste made her cringe. She forced the liquid down.

"Jane, you're drinking beer?"

Jane laughed, immediately noticing what happened.

"Yeah, I would take a cold beer over wine or a cocktail any day."

Maura wrinkled her nose. 'I've never liked beer."

Joseph snuck up behind Maura, placing his hands on her waist and kissing her temple.

"I didn't know that you'd ever tried beer, Maura."

She laughed pulling his hands from her waist and turning to face him.

"Once. Did you get Frankie's present?"

"It's right here." He held up a blue gift bag. "I hope he likes it."

Jane smiled and took the bag from his hand. "I'm sure that he will."

"Good." Joseph re-focused his attention on Maura. He had been worried about her meeting all of these new people alone.

"How is everything going?"

"It's been great. Every one has been lovely."

"Good." He kissed her forehead and squeezed her upper arms affectionately. "I'm going to go talk to the guys. I'll be close by if you need me." He brushed a strand of hair from her face and gave her a comforting look before joining the men.

Jane looked around at her guests, noticing everyone's eyes on Maura and Joseph.

_Every woman wishes they had what Maura has._

Her eyes moved to the yard. All of the children seemed to be getting a little rowdy. _Time for a little organized activity._

"Pin the tail on the donkey, time!" she yelled. All of the children ran to get in line. They had been attending these parties since birth—they knew the drill.

Jane noticed that Maggie had Evelyn by the hand, ensuring that she got a good spot in line with her.

"Alright, who wants to blindfold?" Jane asked the adults. Angela raised her hand and Jane laughed. _Of course._

Angela stepped forward, taking the blindfold from Jane.

"Mrs. Rizzoli will blindfold you and spin you around five times. Then, she will hand you the donkey's tail and you have to try and pin it where it belongs. The one who pins the tail the closest will get a prize."

The children were clearly excited. Jane stepped back over to Maura, glad that her mother had volunteered to take over.

Lorrie Winters made her way to Maura. She extended her hand and smiled warmly.

"Hi, I'm Lorrie Winters."

"Maura Thomas. It's so nice to meet you."

"Is that your little girl?" Lorrie motioned to the little girl studying each participant in the game closely.

"It is. Her name is Evelyn."

"She's absolutely precious. Focused," Lorrie said with a laugh.

"I don't believe that she's ever played before. She's very meticulous for six."

The women shared a laugh. They observed the children, Frankie finally finishing his turn.

"Oh, I didn't notice Frankie's forehead! How did he get such a gash, Jane?"

Jane's eyes brightened at her opportunity to tell the story. She had been waiting for the chance to let everyone know how amazing Maura had handled that situation.

"Richie let the bat swing out of his hand and it hit him. Maura actually…"

Maura felt her whole body tense. She didn't want Jane to tell anyone about her medical knowledge, but didn't know how to politely change the conversation.

Frankie, Jane's brother, cut her off, much to Maura's relief.

"Hey sis, sorry we're late."

His wife Anna stood by his side, a soft smile plastered to her face. Jane really liked her sister-in-law and moved to hug her.

"Hi! Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're both here now." She noticed their questioning looks towards Maura.

"This is my new friend Maura Thomas. She moved in next door."

Frankie extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Thomas."

Anna's eyes fell upon Maura's stomach as she shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Very nice to meet you both as well."

"Looks like they are enjoying the game. Maggie is always good at this one for some reason," he said gesturing to his niece.

"I don't know how she does it, but she usually wins."

"Of course Ma is blindfolding," Frankie said warmth evident in his voice.

Jane just smiled. She caught sight Richard and Joseph talking on the other side of the patio and grew curious as to how they were getting along.

"I'll catch up with you later, ok? I haven't got to talk to Richard much today."

Frankie nodded and moved to stand near a couple that they were friends with.

"They seem to be getting along," Jane muttered to Maura.

"Joseph is always the social one," she said, her voice seemingly only half-present.

They moved to stand near their husbands. Joseph immediately put his arm around Maura's waist, making them both appear as if they were the absolute picture of perfection.

Jane stood next to Richard and placed her hands on each of his shoulders.

"Haven't seen much of you today. How was work?" Jane asked Richard.

"It was ok. Got a little hung up at the end. Did Wilson give you the message?"

"He showed up early to give me the message, in fact." Richard let out a hearty laugh.

"I'll tell you, that boy is a hard-worker, but there's no denying that he is kind of a brown noser."

Joseph began to laugh. "I haven't met him yet, but I think I can already tell who he is. Younger guy, skinny, sandy hair with the red head over there?"

Richard turned to look. "Yep, that's him. He thinks that if he sucks up to me then he will get promoted more quickly."

"Actually, it is customary for individuals in leadership roles to promote their friends and acquaintances over another individual in the office. It has more to do with trust than anything as most do not realize that they are taking part in favoritism."

Joseph laughed, used to his wife's random outbursts of facts.

"I'm not sure if that necessarily applies in this situation, Maura. That would imply that every person in a leadership role found their way into that position because of their contacts."

"I'm not saying it's a conscious decision. It's psychological. Even talk around the water cooler can affect the decision to promote an individual on the part of a manager."

Richard merely watched as the two bantered, but Jane was fascinated. She never had back-and-forth discussions with Richard like that.

"Look," Joseph pointed to the game on the patio, "it's Evelyn's turn."

Maura moved deeper into Joseph's side in order to see. Both parents had a smile plastered onto their face as they watched.

Angela spun her around and handed her the tail. Evelyn seemed to be muttering something to herself as she moved to the poster.

"What is she doing?" asked Joseph.

Maura watched her mouth carefully.

"She's counting. I think she has devised some kind of system to measure how many steps it takes to get to the poster."

They all watched as she held her hand out, finding the top and left edge of the poster. She began to walk her fingers in, still counting.

"She has. She thinks she knows how far away the back side of the donkey is by counting how many finger lengths it is from the edge." Maura couldn't help but be proud of her daughter's methodical, logical approach to such a simple game.

Evelyn placed the tail almost exactly in the right spot. The crowd began to cheer for her. She ripped the blindfold off and began to jump up and down. Her eyes sought out her parents. When she saw them at the edge of the yard she began to yell, "I did it! I did it!"

They both clapped and Joseph gave her the thumbs up sign.

"We saw, darling!" Maura called back.

"That was wonderful, Evie," Joseph yelled.

Everyone noticed the exchange, clearly in love with their new neighbors.

Betty Smith moved over to them. Jane fought back the urge to groan.

"Hello, Thomas'! Allow me to introduce myself so we can dialogue."

Jane turned her head in Richard's direction and rolled her eyes.

"My name is Betty Smith. How are you both doing?"

Maura and Joseph each shook her hand.

"Wonderful. And you?" Maura asked.

"Spectacular. The party is fantastic, Jane. I have been so busy enjoying it that I forgot to come over and say hello to the new neighbors. We are all so delighted that you've moved in."

"We are equally delighted. I think I speak for both of us when I say that we love the neighborhood and all of its inhabitants so far," Joseph said with a smile. Maura nodded in agreement.

"We are all so happy to have a doctor in the neighborhood. And you all seem to be such a sweet family. Evelyn is absolutely adorable, and another little one on the way—you two seem to be a wonderful example of a traditional family. That's exactly what we like in Brookside. Tradition is strong here."

Betty pointed her finger to the Andersons on the patio. "Have you met the Andersons? I'm not sure if you've heard, but Cheryl actually works. And they've been married for two years already. I heard that she refuses to have children because she doesn't want to sacrifice her career." She laughed at her statement. "Isn't that charming? She thinks that she has a career."

Maura felt the muscles in her mouth and jaw tighten. She hated this kind of conversation.

"Don't you think that's funny, dear?"

Maura nodded tensely. Jane could tell that Maura was uncomfortable.

"Maura, could you help me get Frankie's presents out of the house? It looks like the kids are almost done with the game. All of the presents are on the table but the ones from us," Jane laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Absolutely," Maura replied, thankful that Jane had saved her yet again.

They pulled the presents out of the china cabinet in the dining room.

"If there is anything that you don't want all of Brookside to know, keep it from Betty. I don't like to gossip, but she has the loudest mouth on the block."

"She doesn't seem like one to keep a secret."

Jane let out a laugh. "She's not."

They moved back out into the party, arms full of gifts. As they placed them with the others, the game seemed to be ending.

"Evelyn, it looks like your tail is the closest! You win!" Angela's voice echoed across the yard. "Jane, what does she win?" She contemplated her statement. "I feel like I'm on a game show or something," she laughed.

Evelyn turned to her with excited eyes. Jane pulled the intended prize out of the bag, instantly wishing it was something better. She remembered the expensive baby doll she was playing with days before, hoping that the small top would be ok. _She might hate this._

Evelyn accepted the top and smiled brightly. "I love it!" she exclaimed.

_That was a surprise._

"Thank you, Mrs. Reed!"

"You've earned it, sweetheart. I've never seen anyone get so close before!"

Evelyn ran to show Maggie her prize, and Jane smiled at Maura.

"She is so sweet."

Maura watched her daughter, a proud smile on her face. "Thank you."

"Frankie, want to open your presents now?"

He ran over to the table, beaming in excitement.

They all watched as he opened his gifts, the children "oohing" and "aahing" over every object. His favorite was the Thomas' gift. It was an Army airplane that he could construct himself and let his Army men ride around in.

After presents, everyone moved to the food. It was customary for each guest to bring a dish of some sort. Hot dogs, jello molds, pies and other dishes lined the table. It looked the same as always, except one serving dish. All of the guests eyed it conspicuously, moving over the unfamiliar food.

Joseph recognized it as Maura's quinoa salad. He admitted that it did not look immediately appetizing, but it was one of his favorites.

He placed a huge portion on his plate. Maura stood by his side, eyeing him.

"Maura, I'm so glad that you chose to bring this. You know it's my favorite. Although I'm still not sure if I love it so much because it's you that makes it." He kissed her cheek and moved to the next dish.

Most everyone noticed the exchange, drawing attention to the quinoa salad. Joseph smiled to himself, hoping that they would all try it. He knew that Maura would be upset if no one ate any of what she brought. She had been fretting over what to bring since she found out about the party.

His plan worked. After dinner, Joseph noticed that it was gone and she was actually getting compliments on her exotic recipe.

Jane, Richard, Maura, and Joseph all sat close. Betty moved to them.

"Maura, I just wanted to tell you that your dish was fantastic. You'll have to give me the recipe. My Georgie actually ate it, and he is the pickiest eater I know."

Maura beamed. "I can give you a copy if you would like. It's actually quite simple to prepare."

"Jane, I just noticed the cut on Frankie's head. I have heard from a few that he was in a fight. Is that true?"

"No, Richie's bat slipped out of his hands and hit Frankie in the head," she forced, almost deadpan. Betty's incessant gossiping and insinuating made Jane want to go nuts.

"Oh my," Betty's hand flew to her mouth, "that sounds positively awful. I was telling Margie that it didn't sound like our little Frankie to fight. Did you have to go to the hospital?"

"No, actually the jack-of-all trades over…"

Maura's body went rigid once more. She recounted their conversation in the house about Betty. _I have to stop this._ The last thing she wanted is for the neighborhood to know about her medical knowledge. Her fears caused her to do something that she hated to do.

"Jane, I'm so sorry to cut you off, but could you point me in the direction of the restroom?"

Jane gave her a puzzled look. "Uh…sure. Come with me. Excuse us, Betty."

Maura opened the back door and charged through the kitchen. She moved into the living room, opening the first door she came to, knowing that they would need privacy for this conversation. It was a rather large coat closet. She assessed the size and decided that she and Jane could both fit. She grabbed Jane's arm and pulled her inside, closing the door quickly.

Jane looked around dramatically. "This is not the bathroom."

"Jane, you are the one who told me not to tell Mrs. Smith anything."

"Yeah, you never tell her anything that you want anyone to know." Jane gave her a confused look. "What's wrong?"

"You were about to tell Mrs. Smith about what happened with Frankie."

"Yeah…" Jane studied Maura, even more confused now, "because what you did with Frankie was amazing."

"I don't want people to know about it."

"Why wouldn't you want everyone to know that you're brilliant?"

"You don't, you just don't understand, Jane." Maura rubbed her fingers across her forehead. She didn't know how to get into this topic.

"You're right, I don't. Help me understand why we're in the closet having this conversation right now."

"Because…" she says, slumping against the closet, "because I'm not brilliant. I'm broken, Jane. Nothing about me is as it appears."

"You can trust me if you want to talk about it."

Maura hesitated for a moment. She never talked about this with anyone. The look in Jane's eyes seemed so sincere. She gave her a small smile, breaking Maura's resolve.

"I have this wonderful husband and daughter and this wonderful life," she started slowly, "but…it's not enough. I won't let it be enough." Maura studied Jane's face in what little light was cast upon her face. She could tell that Jane wanted more of an explanation.

"Joseph is a doctor. He gets to leave every day and live out his dream, and I have to watch. He gets to live out _my_ dream and I have to stay at home with Evelyn. Don't get me wrong, I love Evelyn more than anything and I love being a mother, but it's not enough."

"Your dream? You wanted to be a doctor?"

Maura let a tear roll down her face. She hardly ever vocalized this to anyone.

"You know how you asked me what I was pursuing in college? That was it. I wanted to be a doctor." She stopped to hold back a sob.

A lot of pieces fell into place in Jane's mind as she listened to Maura.

"I foolishly thought that I could make it work. It's complicated, but I thought that my parents would let me finish college and I could talk them into medical school. It was childish, but I held onto that dream…ever since I was a little girl."

"I don't know what I was thinking. 'Women do not become doctors. They become wives and mothers.' My parents drilled that in my head, and it stuck. But I never let it be the only thing that stuck."

She stopped for a moment, swallowing loudly. "I have to watch Joseph live my dream every day. It makes life hard. I know that I should be happy to live such a comfortable life with my loving husband and daughter, but-but I can't help but want more."

"I hate myself for that," she whispered, forcing the words past her emotion.

Jane couldn't believe that Maura was experiencing as much discontent as she was in her own life.

"Maura, I don't like my life either. I hate being resigned to this life as a housewife. Like you said, I love my kids, but I'm not happy. Don't beat yourself up over this."

Maura looked down, hiding her face from Jane. Jane hated that society had made her friend feel this way, so worthless. She knew that Maura was the most amazing person that she had ever met.

Jane pulled Maura to her in a tight hug. She rocked her and kissed the top of her head comfortingly.

Maura leaned into the warmth. It felt better to know that she was not the only one who was unhappy.

"We'll get through this. I promise we will."

She felt Maura nod as she sniffed.

Jane pulled back slightly. She wiped the tears from Maura's face and brushed a large strand of hair back into place. Jane's fingertips brushed across her face, taking in the warmth and moisture gathering there. Impulsively, Jane blew a small, cool stream of air across Maura's hairline, as she would do her children. An unwarranted shiver ran down Maura's spine at the feeling.

"Thank you," Maura smiled.

"For what?"

"Being here for me."

Jane smiled and placed her hand on Maura's cheek. "Any time. Want me to get you a beer? It always helps me."

Maura laughed, knowing that she was trying to lighten the mood. She had found that she loved that about Jane. "No thank you," she said and wrinkled her nose once more.

"Do I look, ok?" Maura asked, self-consciously wiping her cheeks and straightening out her dress.

"You look brilliant as always," Jane replied softly as she opened the door.

Jane turned to walk out, but was thrown off by the sight of her youngest brother, Tommy.

"Uh…Jane? What were you two doing in the closet?" he asked in confusion.

Jane stood still for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

"This is where I keep all of my pretty friends, Tommy. That way you can't hit on them."

He laughed. "That's probably not a bad idea."

Maura studied him closely, noticing that Jane and Tommy bore a striking resemblance. _He even looks the same when he laughs._

He extended his hand, giving her a smile that screamed charming. "Tommy Rizzoli, nice to meet you."

"Maura Thomas, nice to meet you."

Jane noticed his eyes drifting across Maura's form. She knew that he would be hitting on her much harder if she weren't pregnant.

"You're late," Jane smacked his arm lightly.

"Am I ever on time?"

"Never. Let's go out to the party before you're any later."

Angela noticed Tommy right off and moved to give him a hug.

"Tommy is the youngest. He's not the most responsible."

Maura nodded. "What does he do for a living?" she asked, truly intrigued.

"He's a traveling salesman for now. But he flits around here and there, flirting with different fields mostly. He's never been one for stability. He's always late, he doesn't follow up when he says he'll do something…he's just Tommy."

"Those are all characteristic traits of the youngest child. I'm going to say it's safe to assume that Frankie is very responsible, quiet, and reliable."

Jane nodded, "Yeah, he's a cop. How'd you know?"

"Characteristics of the middle child," Maura smirked.

The pair moved back to their husbands. Jane and Maura were both pleased at how well they were getting along.

"So how do you two have fun in town?" Joseph asked Richard.

"Depends. There's a great skate center. A new bowling alley was just built. We have a great drive-in. They are always playing great movies, old and new."

"I love going to the drive-in," Maura interjected.

"So does Jane," Richard gestured in her direction. "Maybe we could go some time. Janie and I had planned on going tomorrow night if you two would like to join us."

"I would love it. What do you think, darling?" Joseph asked.

"That sounds perfect."

"Great," said Jane. "Angela usually watches the kids for us when we go."

"We haven't been to a movie in a while. This will be a real treat," Joseph pulled Maura close, his arm around her shoulders.

"Consider it a date," Jane said with a smile.

**First, I am so sorry that this update took so long. All of the introductions were difficult to write. I wanted to make sure that everyone was perfect. I hope the length of the update makes up for how long it took for me to finish it. :)**

**Second, you all have been fantastic and I love you. I promise that the next chapter will be good. Now that I'm past this chapter, we can get into some really good stuff. **

**And last but not least, the polls will be up soon, but not next chapter. A few of you mentioned that you would like that. It would just be on minor things, nothing major in the plot.**

**Hope you all are enjoying so far. Let me know what you think!**


	9. Drive In Confessions

Chapter 9

"Drive-In Confessions"

They arrived at the gravel lot of the drive-in twenty minutes before the movie was scheduled to start. That allowed them ample time to pay their way in, ensure a good spot, and get settled in for the first half of the movie.

The couples sat in line for quite some time waiting to pay, but the four did not seem to mind the wait. They were truly enjoying the others company.

Richard sat in the driver's seat, his right arm resting across the length of the front seat, his fingertips playing with the bottom of Jane's curly ponytail. Maura and Joseph sat in the back of Richard and Jane's car, Joseph's arm right arm around her shoulder, their right hands intertwined.

"We're so glad that you all decided to come after all. I told you Ma would be okay watching Evelyn."

Maura smiled, "I just hated to burden your mother with one more child for the evening so that we could go out."

Richard let out a hearty laugh. Maura stared quizzically at the back of his head.

"You don't know Angela well enough yet, but you will quickly learn that she would rather our children, and soon yours, just move in with her. She begs to take our children some nights. Gotta love that woman."

Jane nodded her head from the front seat. "She would have been more upset if you didn't let Evelyn stay. If she knew that you almost didn't come because you felt like she would be burdened by Evie, I would have never heard the end of it."

"It was very nice of her to watch her. We do appreciate it," Joseph replied.

"She'll probably start calling and asking to take her off of your hands soon," Richard jested.

Jane knew it was true. She had even told Jane how absolutely adorable she thought the little girl was after Frankie's party the night before.

While they had all liked each other from the beginning, each was slightly nervous about spending the evening together. Jane had worried that they might all run out of things to talk about, or their differences would make them unable to carry a conversation for a long period of time. But her worries became non-existent almost as soon as they piled into the Reed's car. It didn't seem to matter that the Thomas' had come from a high-class background or that they didn't necessarily have to worry about money—it was as if they had known each other forever.

When their car finally eased up to the ticket booth, Richard handed the man a dollar in exchange for the car speaker and drove into the lot. He always liked to be four rows back and directly in the center. He parked the car and began to manually roll down his window to position the speaker on the door panel and began to get comfortable.

Jane turned around in the long seat to face her new friends. She immediately noted the close proximity of the two.

"You look like you're really fitting into the passion pit back there," Jane smirked.

Maura knitted her brow, but tried to smile to cover her uncertainty.

"The drive-in, Maura. We called it the passion pit in high school," she clarified, sensing Maura's confusion. "Because of all the…" Jane cleared her throat, lowering her voice, "the backseat bingo."

A knowing look flashed across Maura's features, and they all erupted into laughter.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom before the movie starts," said Jane, as she noticed that there was fifteen minutes until time for the feature.

"I'll go, too." Maura released Joseph's hand and slid out of the seat as best as she could.

Both women walked carefully across the gravel.

"Did you come to the 'passion pit' often in your adolescent years, Jane?" Maura said coyly.

"I came here a few times, yes."

"Always with Richard?"

"No, there were others," Jane paused. "But not many others. What about you?"

"Are you asking if I frequented the drive-in on dates, or if I dated many others besides Joseph?" She smiled, Jane noticing the deep dimples in her cheeks.

"Both," Jane responded, unable to resist.

"I have been to the drive-in multiple times, and there have been others before Joseph."

Jane had more questions about the "others," but decided to keep them to herself.

The line was fairly short, and both women were in and out of the stall in a matter of minutes. Jane stood washing her hands and Maura made sure that her hair was still in place in the mirror. Maura wanted to pick the conversation back up, curious about Jane's past.

"Was there anyone serious before Richard?"

Jane stopped for a moment. "Not really. You?"

"Yes, there were two actually."

Jane's eyes grew wide. "Two? Like serious as in how?"

"Well I guess there are different levels of serious. I was referring to it as possibility of marriage."

"You almost married two different guys before Joseph?" Jane tried to hide her surprise, but then again, she knew her friend was beautiful.

"Yes, I had a serious relationship during my final year of boarding school, and a very serious one my first semester of college."

"You went to boarding school?" Jane could not hide the surprise in her voice. She had only heard of people going to boarding school in books she read for school. No one she grew up with could have ever went anywhere but public school.

"I did." Maura flushed a little at her admission. She could tell that Jane was astounded and didn't really know how to process it.

"So it didn't work out with either of them?" Jane and Maura opened the bathroom door and started to walk back to the car.

Maura shook her head, still feeling uneasy about Jane's reaction. She didn't want her to think of her any differently.

"Any particular reason?"

Maura hesitated, unsure of what Jane would think after she heard the stories. Jane noticed the pause.

"Maura, I didn't mean to pry. If it's too personal then…"

"Oh no, it's not that. I don't mind telling you the details of that. I just don't want you to judge me for any of it."

Jane stopped walking and turned to face Maura.

"Why would you think that I would judge you?"

"I don't want you to think I'm some kind of snob."

"No, I don't think that. I have never thought that."

"When I mentioned boarding school and college…"

"No," Jane interrupted her. "I wasn't judging you. I'm in awe. I never even thought about doing any of those things. I think it's fantastic."

"Ok." Maura paused to collect her thoughts for a moment. "I catch myself worrying that you will think I feel like I'm privileged."

"I have never thought that about you."

Maura smiled. "Good."

The five-minute call for the movie came on-screen and the women turned to go back to the car.

They settled into their previous seats, but Maura soon realized that she could not see from the back seat. She wasn't going to say anything until Joseph looked over.

"Can you see?"

Maura shook her head. Richard looked down at the front seat.

"There's room for all four of us up front if you want. I don't mind sitting so close to, Janie."

Jane playfully rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you can move up here," she said as she moved closer to Richard.

The couple in the back got out and moved to the front. Maura slid in next to her, their bodies touching completely from shoulder to their calves. Jane felt like the temperature rose a few degrees, but she couldn't explain why.

"What film are we seeing again?" asked Maura, startling Jane out of her thoughts.

"The River of No Return," Richard said, amusement lacing his voice.

"Isn't Marilyn Monroe in this one?" Joseph turned to Richard.

Richard lit a cigarette and nodded. "Oh yeah. She's a doll isn't she?"

Jane elbowed him lightly, eliciting a chuckle from Richard.

The opening credits began to roll and all four fell silent.

**Ok, the finale got in the way of my writing. It's a wonder I got this out. But there it is! I hope you liked it. _Obviously_ there is going to be more of this chapter, I just wanted to get something out for you all to read.**

**And I also wrote a Rizzles baby fic. It will just be a series of random one-shots to help me cope with my feelings after the finale. So look for that!  
Let me know what you think! :)**


	10. Let's Duet

_Ok, so before we start you should all know that I do not wish to knock Marilyn Monroe in any way. As a matter of fact, my room is decorated with an Old Hollywood theme, and there are pictures of her in it. This movie was just too perfect not to use. (You'll see why.) With that said, you should look up, "River of No Return" on Youtube and watch Marilyn sing the musical number. It will make sense later, promise._

Chapter 10

"Let's Duet"

The glowing tip of Richard's cigarette distracted Maura from the actual movie. She wanted to recite the findings of the Tobacco Industry Research Committee, to inform Richard that it was entirely plausible that cigarettes were the cause of lung cancer.

_I'm not even sure that he likes me. I can't tell him that he shouldn't be smoking._

Maura twisted her wedding ring around her finger slightly. Jane glanced over, feeling Maura fidgeting against her arm. She nudged her playfully.

"Can't sit still?" Jane asked.

"Not exactly."

Maura focused on reciting the findings over and over in her mind to keep her fingers still and her lips sealed. The images flashed across the screen, none really registering until Richard dropped the cigarette out of the window.

The urge to impart her knowledge fell away. Her body relaxed and she began to watch the movie. Joseph felt her posture fall slightly. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her to his chest. Maura did not fight the new position, but immediately noticed the absence of Jane's warmth against her upper arm . A tinge of unexplainable sadness swept through her being.

The couples watched as the plot moved, Marilyn playing a showgirl by the name of Kay. Jane scoffed at a few of the scenes, a few instances where she claimed the lead actress was being, "dramatic" or "ditzy." Richard fervently defended Marilyn, referring to her as "the greatest actress to ever live."

One scene in particular seemed to really strike a chord with Richard. Marilyn came on-screen in a revealing yellow dress. Richard leaned over to Jane, a goofy grin on his face.

"You need to get that dress, honey."

Jane pushed him away from her, a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"In your dreams, maybe." Jane shook her head, leaning over to Maura. "You need that dress, _honey_."

"I don't believe that dress would come in my size," she said, rubbing her swollen abdomen for effect."

"It would still look better on you," Jane whispered playfully.

Maura simply rolled her eyes, watching as Richard pinched Jane's arm slightly, earning him another smack to the arm.

Maura observed the couples interaction. The easy and natural way they bantered made their long-standing relationship clear to everyone around. They knew so much about the other, no surprises. But Maura noticed that the way Jane conversed with her was slightly different than with Richard. The muscles in her face seemed more tense, almost as if she were holding something back.

By the time intermission rolled around, Maura realized that she had not watched much of the movie at all. _I've never been one to actually watch a movie at the drive-in, anyways._

The image of an animated soda cup and popcorn container, fully equipped with arms and a face, danced across the screen. "Intermission," Richard exhaled loudly.

"The popcorn isn't as nice to look at as Marilyn," Joseph laughed. Maura cut her eyes, feigning disapproval.

"Popcorn sure would taste good, though," Jane hinted in Richard's direction.

"Marilyn would probably tas…"

Jane shoved her left arm into his rib cage before he could finish his sentence.

"Just for that, I expect popcorn," Jane pushed him one more time for emphasis. "And a soda."

"Fine, fine. Calm down woman, I'm going to get it," he muttered through his laughter.

"Yeah, you think you're real funny."

He shook his head, his body still shaking. He popped the door open and stepped out of the vehicle.

"I'll go with you. I'd like something to drink." Joseph stepped out of his door, craning his neck back to Maura as he did. "Would you like something, sweetheart?"

"Something chocolate," Maura smirked.

They watched as both men made their way over to grab a place in the growing line leading from the concessions stand.

Jane leaned her head back against the seat. "Can you believe them?"

"What do you mean?"

"_Marilyn_ this, _Marilyn_ that—it's sickening. I guess I don't understand the appeal."

"Perceived fertility is paramount. Males seek mates capable of nursing offspring. Abundant breasts do suggest…"

"Ok, I didn't really need an explanation, but thanks."

Maura laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"This movie is a little over-the-top though, don't you agree? I mean, the musical number in the saloon, really?"

"I could see the appeal of the scene."

"Because she's half-dressed? Yeah, me too."

"Well, that has something to do with it, but Joseph said that he liked her voice once."

"My voice is deep like hers. I could do that."

Jane pulled her knees into the seat quickly, moving them underneath herself and swinging around to face Maura. She brought her shoulders up slightly, rolling her head back and to the right slowly. It was obvious to Maura that Jane was attempting mimic Marilyn's sensuality as she sang.

"There is a river," Jane dropped her voice, attempting to make her voice smooth and rich. She began to croon, slightly off-key.

Maura couldn't help but giggle as she watched Jane. "Wait," she held up her hand, "it's not complete just yet." Maura snaked her hand to the top button of Jane's dress, unbuttoning it slowly. She slid her hands along Jane's collar bone, allowing the half sleeves of her dress to fall, hanging loosely on her upper arm. Maura pulled back to take in the full image of Jane. She unconsciously bit her bottom lip, Jane feeling the heat in her cheeks once more.

"Much better."

Jane noticed that Maura's voice sounded a bit gravely. She ignored it, continuing where she left off.

"Called the river of no return."

Jane's impression became more and more dramatic with every note. Maura's eyes were watering from laughing so hard.

"Sometimes it's peaceful and sometimes wild and free…

"I can hear my lover call," Jane leaned into Maura for dramatic effect.

"Come to me…" her voice almost in a whisper.

Maura immediately noticed the distance between herself and Jane. She leaned in slowly, closing the space between them even more. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Jane stared into Maura's eyes, the heat returning. Her eyes fell to her lips, slightly parted. She could feel the warmth of Maura's breath against her face.

Maura let her eyes wander to the top of Jane's exposed chest, immediately noticing the white, jagged line that interrupted her olive skin. Her fingers inched to the imperfection, cool fingertips meeting warmth. Jane shivered as Maura ran each fingertip over the scar carefully, as if memorizing it. Jane placed her hand on top of Maura's, their eyes meeting once more.

Maura felt a sharp pain in her side, pulling away from Jane with a sharp intake of breath.

"Are you ok?" Jane asked, her voice laden with concern.

"Yes," Maura tried to catch her breath. "It was just the baby. Seems to be more active during the evening."

Jane felt as if she could finally breathe again. "Oh, I thought something was really wrong. Maybe you'll have a soccer star on your hands."

Maura shook her head, trying to bring her thoughts back to the present. She let her fingers graze the discolored flesh once more. "What happened?"

"You tell me first."

"What are you talking about?"

Jane brushed a portion of hair away from Maura's forehead, revealing a scar along her hairline.

"This. Where did this come from?"

Maura was in complete shock. No one had ever noticed the scar before, not unless she pointed it out to them. It was almost entirely hidden and Maura made every effort to conceal it. "How did you see that?"

"I notice things about you, Maura."

Maura let the silence hang in between them. She exhaled slowly, gathering her senses.

"Remember when I said that I was in a serious relationship in college. This is how that ended."

Jane didn't know how to respond.

"What about yours?" Maura asked, not wanting to get into the story at the moment.

Jane noticed that Richard and Joseph were making their way back to the car, snacks in hand.

"I'll tell you later, ok. I promise."

"Scouts honor?" Maura held up her fingers, a stern look crossing her fingers.

"I'll do you one better." Jane extended her right pinkie to Maura. "Pinky promise I will tell you later."

Maura looked at Jane's finger in confusion. Jane snorted, knowing exactly what was happening. She snatched Maura's left hand from her lap, wrapping their fingers together.

"Pinkie promises are binding. I'm going to tell you, ok?"

Maura nodded and smiled, beaming with excitement. She had never pinkie promised anyone before.

Jane turned around in the seat so Richard could sit back down, both women still holding firmly to one another.

Marilyn Monroe flickered back onto the screen, all four resuming their previous positions.

"Finally," Richard added dreamily.

The movie ended too soon in Maura's opinion. She loved feeling like a part of something other than her marriage and home life. _I have a friend._

Joseph and Maura returned to the back of the car and they began the short drive home.

"I think that had to be the worst ending I've ever seen," Richard said, making a left out of the drive-in exit.

"Why do you say that?" Maura asked, always interested in gathering varying opinions.

"Because she didn't end up with me. That Robert Mitchum is one lucky bastard."

"I would say that DiMaggio is a much luckier guy." Joseph piped in.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Ok, boys. Let's calm it down a bit."

Richard chuckled and reached over, placing his hand on her leg. "You know I love you."

Jane could tell that Richard was really enjoying the outing with the Thomas', and she was glad. The more time she got to spend with her new friend the better.

"So Joseph, I don't know what you're schedule is, but the boys and I are going camping this weekend. I was wondering if you would like to join us."

Jane looked at Richard in surprise. He never invited anyone to come with him on his camping trip with the boys. _He must really like Joseph._

"That sounds swell. I'll go just as long as I'm not on-call this Saturday."

"Ever been camping before, Doc?"

"I used to camp as a child with my father and brothers. I always enjoyed it. I would love to get a chance to take Evie. She's never been."

Jane looked at Richard, unsure of how he would respond. It was usually a "boys only" camping excursion. She decided to jump in and keep him from saying something potentially offensive. "Maggie never goes on the trip. Usually Richard just takes Frankie and Richie."

Richard looked over at Jane, shrugging his shoulders. "You know, she could come if she wanted. She would love to spend time with Evelyn."

Jane was surprised by his answer. _Probably just happy to finally have an actual guy friend._

"Would you mind if Evie came along, Maura?"

Maura shook her head at her husband, loving any event that helped Evie become more social and comfortable with others.

"It's settled then. We will all go this weekend," Joseph exclaimed.

"I think I'm going to be just as excited for the weekend as you all will be," remarked Jane happily as she delighted in the thought of being home alone for two solid days.

Joseph turned to Maura, concern etched into his features. "Will you be ok, Maura? I didn't think about the baby. It is close and…"

"Joseph," Maura interjected softly, "I'll be fine. Jane is next-door if anything happens, but it isn't going to."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry so much about Maura. After knowing how she handled the situation with Frankie, I think she'll be just fine." Richard jested, pulling into the driveway.

Joseph looked over to Maura. She instantly felt uncomfortable, knowing that Joseph didn't like how she handled the Frankie situation. Her eyes fell to her lap to avoid his gaze, anger rising within her.

The car came to a halt and they all began to climb out of the cab.

"I'll be right back with Evelyn, Joseph," said Maura. Joseph nodded in her direction, never breaking conversation with Richard.

Jane and Maura looked at each other in confusion as they walked into the house and were greeted by silence.

"I guess Ma got them to sleep already."

Angela waved to the pair from the couch. "They've been asleep for about an hour. Did you kids have fun?"

Maura nodded. "Thank you for watching Evelyn for us tonight. We had a wonderful time."

"Of course you did. Evie was perfect. She minded her manners even under the influence of Jane's little rugrats." Angela said, patting Maura's arm.

Jane led a beaming Maura down the hallway to Maggie's room, opening the door slowly. Both girls were sleeping soundly. Jane closed the door once more and moved back into the living room.

"I'll go ask Joseph to carry her home." Maura walked out to find her husband discussing his dream car.

"Joseph, honey, could you get Evelyn for me?"

"Is she not listening to you? That doesn't sound like her."

"She's just asleep. I can't carry her."

Jane walked out onto the porch, catching the tail-end of their conversation. "She could just stay with us. We don't mind, and that way you won't have to move her."

"There you go, Maura. Evelyn can just stay here. She would love to stay over with Maggie anyways."

Maura tried to hide her irritation. She wanted Evelyn to be at home, safely tucked into her own bed down the hall. It was irrational, she knew she was safe at Jane's house, but she still wanted her home. _Joseph shouldn't have just decided that she could stay without discussing it with me first._

Maura nodded, turning to hug Jane goodnight. "I had a really good time tonight, Marilyn. We must _duet_ again."

Jane leans back, leaving her hands on Maura's upper arms. "Was that a joke?"

"Only if it it's funny," Maura quips innocently.

Jane smiled brightly. "Definitely. And don't worry about Evie, she'll be excited when she wakes up and finds out that she spent the night."

Maura began walking across the yard to her door. She could hear Joseph thanking Jane and Richard for inviting them and for keeping Evelyn. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as the joy she had felt a moment earlier dissipated and anger began to build again.

She walked up the stairs as quickly as she could, realizing that Joseph had the keys. She exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. Joseph stepped onto the porch beside her, oblivious to her irritation.

He leaned in, kissing her temple. "I am so glad that we went tonight."

She didn't respond. He placed the key in the door and turned the knob. He stepped aside, allowing her to enter the house first. She went straight for the bedroom, eager to get into her pajamas and avoid any sort of conversation with Joseph.

She kicked her heels into the corner, not caring how they landed. She then unbuttoned her dress, pulling it over her head and tossing it carelessly across the vanity chair. _That's going to wrinkle. _She bypassed the thought as Joseph entered the room, taking in the sight of her standing in nothing but her brassiere and slip. The realization that they were truly alone together for the first time in years hit him.

He watched as she moved to her vanity, removing a few bobby pins from her hair and shaking it loose. A familiar feeling ignited in his gut as he watched her hair tumble across her shoulders. He moved to stand behind her, running his hands from her shoulders down to interlock their fingers.

His lips began to make a trail down her neck. "We're alone, you know?"

Maura pulled her hands from his grip, pushing his arms back by his sides.

"C'mon Maura, we never get to be alone. You don't even have to be quiet this time."

He spun her around lightly to face him, his right hand tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, lingering upon her check. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, his thumb brushing her bottom lip.

"Joseph, I just want to go to sleep." She slid past him to get to the bathroom.

"Is something wrong, Maura? Did something upset you?"

Maura could feel her self-control wilting—she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions locked away as she had planned. "I didn't want Evelyn to stay over at the Reeds' tonight." Even as the words were leaving her mouth, Maura knew this was not at the heart of why she was upset.

Joseph walked over to the doorframe of the bathroom, leaning his body against it. "Why not? She's safe over there. And if I remember correctly, you're the one who is constantly pushing her into social situations." His voice remained soft, almost playful.

"I just-I wish that you would have talked to me about it before you decided that she could stay."

"I'm really sorry. If I would have suspected that you had a problem with it, I wouldn't have said that it was ok."

_I suspect that you have a problem with me "playing doctor," but I suppose that we're not going to talk about that either, are we? _Maura turned on the water and began to wash the make-up from her face. The sound of the water hung between them, neither knowing what to say next. She pats her face dry and turned to leave the bathroom. Joseph reached out, capturing her wrist in his hand.

He placed his left hand on her cheek, leaning in for a soft kiss. His right hand brushed her shoulder, pulling her bra strap down in the process.

She pulled back quickly at the sensation. "You cannot be serious! I just told you that I was upset with you."

"Maura, I said I was sorry." She turned on her heel, avoiding his eyes altogether. He followed a step behind her the whole way to the closet.

"I don't know what more you want me to say. I will be sure to discuss things of this nature with you beforehand in the future."

"I'm just upset with you right now, Joseph. I want a little space," she said, disappearing into the closet.

"Well, if we're bringing up problems," Joseph's voice grew louder, "I have one with you, too."

Maura stepped out of the closet with an expectant look upon her face. A part of her knew what was coming and her insides began to contract in anticipation. _Say it. I know it's been bothering you for days. _"What is it?"

"The way you handled the Reeds' boy the other day. I wasn't going to say anything, but that was out of line."

"I cleaned and bandaged his wound. I fail to see how that was out of line, Joseph."

"You told them not to take him to the hospital."

"I used my judgment to determine the state of his injuries and assess the affected area. His pupils were normal, and he showed no signs of…"

"You're not a doctor, Maura," he said, all anger leaving his voice. He knew what a sensitive topic this was among the two of them.

Maura felt a knot gather in her throat. "I've read numerous medical texts and articles. I know how the body works, I understand what happens when…"

"Maura, he suffered a blow to the head. Head injuries are very serious. He needed to go to the hospital."

"But he didn't, Joseph. He didn't need stitches and he was perfectly coherent."

"Maura," Joseph moved to her, his voice low and soft, "I have a problem with you diagnosing people with no prior medical training."

Maura grabbed her nightgown from the drawer and moved past him. She refused to say another word. She undressed and slipped the nightgown over her head. Joseph, assuming that he had gotten through to Maura, changed into his pajamas and got ready for bed.

When he returned, Maura was already laying on her side. He eased into bed, moving to lay against her back. He looped his arm underneath her breasts to pull her closer to him. If he couldn't be intimate with his wife, he at least wanted to be near her.

Maura pushed her body against his, freeing herself from his grasp and scooting closer to the edge of the bed.

"Maura…"

She heard the sad tone behind his voice, but she didn't dwell on it. She was hurt, so deeply hurt. He waited for her to say something, but she never did. He merely turned over away to face the wall.

She turned her head into her pillow, letting it soak up her silent tears. She had read countless medical texts, everything that Joseph had ever had to read in fact. She knew what she was doing, but would never be able to prove it.

"Maura?"

"Hmm?" she tried to hide the emotion in her voice.

"This probably isn't the best time to bring it up, but I just wanted to remind you that my parents are coming for dinner tomorrow."

_I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I tried to make it fairly long due to the fact that it took me so long to get it together. I hope you enjoyed it though. :) Let me know what you think.  
And I know that I mentioned that I might be adding polls, but I've decided against it at the moment. I just thought that I should let everyone know._


	11. Dinner With the Thomas'

_First, a big, big thanks to ranejizzoli for the amazing cover! I think we can all admit that it is just fantastic! You're the best!_

_Secondly, I am so sorry that this has taken me so long to update! My life should be getting back into order soon, so updates will most likely come more quickly than this one, however not as quickly as in the summer. Classes have started back, so I'm a little frazzled. I hope that you like what I have so far, though. Keep in mind, this chapter was not able to be edited by any one other than me, so there might be a few mistakes!_

_And, I have no idea how long it takes to cook a duck. If you do, let's pretend it takes twelve hours. :)_

Chapter 11

"Dinner with the Thomas'"

Joseph awoke to the sound of pots and pans clattering down the hallway. He glanced at the clock, the small hand resting on the four. He groaned as he rolled into the center of the bed, both pillows against his ears to block out the racket. "Too early," he muttered into the mattress.

He knew that this would happen. _I should have told them next week. _ Now, Maura would worry and be in a state of panic for the remainder of the day.

Something crashed and he could hear her muttering something to herself. Guilt washed over him, pulling him from the bed and into the kitchen. He stifled a laugh as he entered to find Maura in her robe, hair slightly mussed, scurrying around the kitchen whispering a to-do list. He fought the urge to tell her how cute she looked, not knowing for sure if she was still mad at him.

"What can I do to help?" he asked, wishing that he could calm her down.

Her head snapped up, unaware of his presence. "Nothing," she replied, turning her attention back to the task at hand. She was, in fact, still very upset with him and too worried about her in-laws coming over to sort through her emotions at the moment. She only had thirteen more hours before they would arrive, and they were never late. _How could I have forgotten?_

He moved to stand near her, merely observing as she flit from one side of the kitchen to the refrigerator to the counter and then back again. It was almost making him dizzy. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing?' I'm getting everything ready for your parents visit this evening," she said, agitation evident in her voice.

He sighed, unsure of what to say next. He knew how particular that she was about things, but he was grateful for it. His parents expected particular. They loved that about Maura, even if they did find some of her character traits to be rather odd.

"I could call and tell them to come next Sunday evening instead."

"No, you most certainly will not! I'll manage."

He merely nodded, took a cup from the top cabinet and moved to the refrigerator for a cup of orange juice. He decided silence was probably the best tactic at this point. It's not like he could really help her with anything until the grocery store opened or she began cooking, whichever came first. A yawn escaped his lips, but he refused to go back to sleep. She would kill him if he did.

Maura muttered something once more, and moved to the stove. He could see that she was making duck for the evening, always a sound decision with his family.

He remembered the first time that he brought her home to meet his parents. She was wearing a pale green dress, her hair hung in loose curls around her shoulders, and when he held her hand he could feel his high school ring on her finger. It was easily one of the sweetest memories he had of his wife, and always the one he returned to whenever their marriage was a little rocky.

His eyes ran over her now. She was perfect, and he wanted to tell her that. Now was not the time though. If it were any other day he could have easily apologized and let her know how much she meant to him, how he would do anything for her, but the apology would fall on deaf ears as she clamored around the kitchen full of nervous energy.

He finished the last sip of orange juice and placed his cup in the sink. "I'm going to take a shower. Let me know if there's anything at all I can do to help."

She nodded tersely, her eyes never leaving the cookbook. It was obvious that he was allowing her space to think and breathe, and that only made her angrier at him. He knew her so well, always calculating her next move and then patiently waiting two steps in front of her. It was infuriating.

Her eyes scanned the pages of the cookbook, searching for the perfect glaze and side dish. "This would be so much easier if I remembered what cookbook I saw it in," she grumbled. She flipped and flipped, finding it towards the back of the book. She celebrated momentarily, but it was quickly crushed when she saw the last ingredient. "Almonds," she sighed, slamming the book in defeat. Her father-in-law had a severe tree nut allergy. She could leave them out, but it wouldn't be as good. She leaned her head onto the counter, breathing in and out slowly to calm herself.

It wasn't that she didn't like her in-laws; it's just that they never made her feel quite like family. Every time they were around she felt as if she were being scrutinized. They put her on edge, even more so than when her parents came to visit. They demanded perfection from anyone who carried their last name. All three boys had gone on to become doctors, marry women of a similar social status, and produce more strong, brilliant Thomas stock—preferably boys to carry the name and medical title.

They loved Evelyn dearly and treated her well, but Maura knew that they wished that she were a boy. She had heard her father-in-law remark that it was a shame that her intelligence would go to waste. "Sharp as a tack, that one," he said to his middle son through a sip of brandy. Maura was not meant to hear the comment, but she had. The unfairness of it all made her want to scream, but she said nothing.

Joseph's oldest brother had three children, two boys and a girl, and the middle brother had two children, two boys. Joseph and Maura had only Evelyn. The Thomas' clearly wanted more grandchildren from Joseph, but they never pushed the issue, mainly because Joseph was the baby and not mention, the incident.

Maura leaned back against the counter, breathing deeply, running through the periodic table in her mind once more. She didn't want to think about it, she couldn't think about it, not right now.

She turned to the counter and began searching for a tree-nut free recipe for the evening. Everything had to be perfect. It just had to be.

…

"Mommy," a tired voice half-whispered. Jane opened her eyes quickly, sensing that something was off. She could just barely make out the image of Maggie standing in front of her.

"Mommy." Maggie repeated, more loudly this time.

"Shh," Jane placed her finger over her lips. "What's wrong?" she rasped, sleep still present in her voice.

"Evie is crying. She wants her mommy."

Jane nodded, pulling back the covers and climbing out of bed. She was unsure of how to console her, she barely knew the little girl. She walked into Maggie's room quietly, finding Evie in a ball on the bed. Jane decided that she would treat Evie as if she were Maggie. She eased onto the bed, placing her hand softly on her back.

"What's wrong, Evie?"

"I-I want my, my mommy," she sobbed.

Jane wanted to pull her into her arms, but resisted. She simply began to wipe away a few strands of hair from her face.

"You don't want to stay with Maggie?"

"I didn't know that I wasn't going to see my mommy and daddy tonight. I thought they were going to get me after the movie."

"You were asleep, sweetheart. They didn't want to wake you."

"I-I just, I just want to see them." Her breath began to catch in her throat, breaking Jane's heart.

"The sun isn't up yet. I don't think that you're mommy or daddy is going to be awake."

"I want to wake them up. I want to see my mommy."

"Ok, what if we wait until the sun comes up and then I'll take you over there. Or you could stay and eat breakfast with Maggie if you'd like. Whatever you want to do."

"I want to go home. I need to see my mommy."

Jane sighed, not knowing what else to do. She didn't want to traumatize her by holding her here against her will.

"What if we call your mommy? Would it be ok if you just heard her voice?"

Evelyn thought for a moment. "Yes," she answered timidly.

"Ok. Dry your tears and we'll call her," she said moving off of the bed.

The little girl sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Why are you sorry, Evie?"

"I didn't mean to get upset. I just-"

Jane leaned down next to her and wrapped her in a hug. "Don't be sorry. You didn't know that you were staying." Evelyn reminded her so much of Maura. She imagined what Maura's childhood was like, and wondered if anyone was ever there to comfort her when she cried. Jane pulled back, holding Evelyn at arms length. "You can still stay with Maggie whenever you want."

Evelyn nodded, turning to Maggie. "You're not mad at, are you?"

Maggie eased up next to Evelyn and shook her head. "No, sometimes I just want my mommy, too."

Jane laughed pulling both girls to her and kissing the top of their heads. "Let's go call your mommy."

They walked into the kitchen and Jane dialed Maura's number. She glanced outside, noticing that the sun was barely peeping over the neighbor's houses. Maura's voice came over the line after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey Maura, its Jane. I'm sorry for calling so early, but Evie woke up a little upset. I think she wants to talk to you."

"Oh, sure. Put her on."

Jane handed the phone to Evie. She accepted it, putting it to her ear slowly.

"Mommy?"

Jane could hear Maura's voice through the phone. "Yes, baby. Is everything ok?"

Evelyn's bottom lip quivered for a moment, tears running down her cheeks once more. "I didn't know that I was staying over."

"We thought that you would enjoy staying with Maggie."

"I do, but I didn't know it was tonight. I just want to see you."

"I'll be over in just one minute, ok?"

"Ok. I love you."

"I love you too, Evie. Can you give the phone back to Mrs. Reed?"

Evelyn nodded to the phone, handing it to Jane.

"Hey."

"I'm terribly sorry, Jane. I'll be over in one moment."

"No, I can bring her to you if you want."

"There's no need. I should have known that she would be upset."

"Did I wake you? I only let her call because I thought she would be ok until after breakfast if she heard your voice."

"No, I was up. I'll be right over."

"Ok. See you in a few."

"Ok, goodbye."

"Bye." She hung up the phone, and moved to the refrigerator to pour the girls a glass of milk.

It wasn't long before Maura was at the door. Evelyn jumped off of the kitchen chair and ran to her mother, latching on to her immediately.

"Hi, Mommy!"

Maura kissed her forehead and looked at Jane. "I'm so sorry about all of this."

"It's not a big deal. No need to apologize." Jane noticed how awake Maura looked. _Maybe she is a morning person._

"I was up preparing for Joseph's parents visit."

"Oh, are they coming over?"

Maura nodded, "To have dinner."

Jane glanced at the clock. "And you're getting ready now? It's five in the morning on a weekend!"

"Duck is better if it can cook on low for at least twelve hours."

"Fancy," Jane smirked at her. "Sounds delicious. Don't be surprised if I show up."

"If you wanted I could…"

Jane laughed, interrupting her. "I'm not going to show up at your evening with the in-laws, don't worry. I know how that is."

Maura wondered if she really did. She wasn't sure if her experience was far from the ordinary.

Jane sat down in the kitchen chair, Maura followed suit, Evelyn leaning her head against her shoulder. Maggie crawled into Jane's lap, obviously still sleepy. Jane placed a kiss on her temple and began rubbing her back slowly. Maura smiled at the scene.

"You should apologize for waking Maggie up, Evelyn," Maura said, running her fingers through her daughter's curls.

"Sorry, Maggie," Evelyn muttered.

"It's ok," Maggie half-smiled in return, her eyes drooping lazily.

Maura noticed how tired the little girl looked. It was barely past five. "We're going to go home now. Then you can go back to sleep, ok?" Maura rose from the chair and patted Maggie's back. "You still look tired."

Maggie nodded her head and turned back into her mother's chest. Maura led Evelyn to the door, Jane followed with Maggie in her arms. Maura turned, placing her hand on Jane's upper arm. "Thank you for keeping her. I am truly sorry that she woke you so early."

"No problem. Good luck with the in-laws."

"Thank you," Maura smiled, hiding how much she needed the luck. "Tell Mrs. Reed thank you for letting you stay over."

"Thank you, Mrs. Reed for letting me spend the night. I'm sorry that I woke you up before the sun."

"I'm serious, it is no problem. You can come over and stay some other night. That way you won't miss your mommy."

"Or daddy."

"Right, or daddy. We'll see you later, ok?"

Evelyn nodded, Maura smiling back at Jane once more. Jane closed the door and carried Maggie to her room. She was already asleep. Jane laid her down and covered her up. Maggie opened her eyes slightly at the loss of contact.

"Will you sleep with me, mama?"

Jane felt her insides turn to goo. "Of course." She crawled in beside her, placing her arm across her abdomen and pulling her close. She was seven now, but she would always be Jane's baby, always. She drifted off to sleep, knowing that her children would soon outgrow these moments and she should treasure them while they lasted,

…

5:30 on the dot, there was a knock at the door. Maura had everything finished, but she still felt unprepared. She focused on steadying her breathing while Joseph got the door. She moved from the kitchen, a smile plastered on her face, her hands absently smoothing a non-existent wrinkle from her dress.

Mildred and Albert Thomas stepped into the entryway, eyes scanning every surface possible. Maura felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. She had been preparing herself for the onslaught of criticism that would surely follow this visit. Mildred was most certainly cataloging items in the house and preparing a way to bring them up later in conversation. Their scrutiny did not keep them from a proper greeting, however. Albert shook Joseph's hand, slapping him on the back, and Mildred pulled him into a large hug, kissing him on the cheek. He was the favorite of the three sons, that much was obvious.

"Where's my girl?" Albert said a little louder than necessary. It worked, Evelyn ran from her room straight into the arms of her grandfather. _At least his parents are affectionate towards her._ She knew that they loved Evelyn, and had no qualms of showing it. They doted on her, believing her to be perfect. She was the favorite, even if she wasn't a boy. "She has a knack for stealing hearts," Joseph liked to say. Maura had to agree.

"There's the little sweetheart! How's my best girl?"

Evelyn smiled, kissing his cheek. "I have been wonderful. I've already made so many new friends, and I love my new school."

Maura watched as both of their faces fell momentarily, unable to hide their opinion. She knew that they both hated the idea of _their_ granddaughter in public school. Both had vehemently protested Joseph and Maura's decision to move to Brookside at all, but they had their reasons and neither truly cared if his parents minded. Secretly, Maura knew that they blamed her for "scandalizing" the family with their recent decisions.

"That's so good, Evelyn. You're too sweet for anyone to ever dislike." Mildred pinched her cheeks lightly, giving her a peck on the forehead before moving to Maura.

"Hello, dear, you look well." She kissed her cheek lightly. "Good thing considering you're carrying the next Thomas' baby," she said, placing her hand upon her abdomen, lips curved into a tight smile.

Maura nodded. "You look well yourself."

"I have been," she said placing her clutch onto the table. "The house is charming, quaint."

"Thank you." She couldn't tell if she meant what she said.

Albert stepped over to Maura, kissing her cheek. "You look stunning. Pregnancy suits you." Maura smiled, knowing it was a jab at her.

"Thank you, Albert."

"Well son, why don't you give us the grand tour?"

Joseph beamed. "Absolutely, follow me."

Maura could tell by the look on their faces that they were both equally unimpressed. It was nothing compared to the grandeur that they lived in, but it had become home and Maura was already attached.

She knew they didn't understand, but this was what she wanted. She wanted to be able to give her children this life to look back on, a real family. Not like the childhood that she had, boarding schools, holidays at home, and nannies. While she had many opportunities, there was definitely a large hole that her parents should have filled.

The last stop was the nursery. Maura gazed in lovingly, as she often did.

"Noting the neutral color scheme," Mildred said, turning to Maura. "We can paint it blue once he arrives." She patted Maura's stomach once more and pinched her cheek as she had Evelyn's earlier. "You really are simply radiant. Albert is right—pregnancy does look good on you."

Mildred and Albert moved back into the living room at Evelyn's request. She had drawn them a picture earlier and wanted to show it off, knowing how they would "ooh" and "ahh" over it.

Joseph hung back, pulling Maura into a hug. She didn't know if it was because he knew what his parents were really saying to her, or he simply wanted to hold her.

She pulled from his arms and moved to the kitchen to serve dinner. Mildred followed.

"How are you feeling lately?"

"Wonderful. Joseph's been so great that I haven't been stressed about the move at all. We've made friends with quite a few families in the neighborhood. The pregnancy seems to be progressing…"

"We knew you were different when we first met you." Maura stopped, studying her mother-in-laws face carefully. "You are gorgeous, smart, from a good background—you have proven to be a good match for Joseph. He loves you, and I can tell it. I don't believe that you would ever wish ill upon our family, but I want you to know that by allowing these decisions to take place, you have hurt us."

Maura stood stock-still, unsure of how to respond. This was definitely not what she was expecting. Mildred had never been very warm or loving to her, but she had never treated her like this. She had always liked Maura, or so she thought. Now she wasn't sure.

"Don't look surprised, darling," she let out a little laugh before continuing. "Moving into this house, this neighborhood, insisting that my grandchildren go to public schools. Naturally we all assumed it was part of the process after…what happened. Now I'm not so sure. I cannot control what goes on in my son's life, but I can have an opinion. Those are my grandchildren and I am allowed to voice my concerns when it comes to her and the new little one. She is a Thomas', and we Thomas' are worried for her education and well-being."

Maura had so many things to say, so many ways to defend her choices, but none came out. She merely stood eyes wide and jaw slacked. Maura let her eyes drift to the kitchen floor.

"Don't take it too personally. We still accept you. You've given us a very precious gift and another on the way." She smiled at her as if nothing happened and reached for the casserole dish.

"Will it all be ok on the dining room table?"

Maura nodded. "Can you tell Joseph that I'll be right back? I just realized that I forgot something in the car." She turned and headed into the driveway before Mildred responded. Tears were already threatening to spill, but she fought them. She would not allow herself to cry, not right now.

She eased her body against the car door, wishing she had someone to talk to. She could never tell Joseph any of this. _Jane._

She could talk to Jane. She suddenly wanted to rush over there and fall into her arms, but she didn't. She stayed glued to the side of the vehicle. Her emotions were running so high at the moment. There would be no way that she could keep from sobbing to her new friend if she went over.

_No, I will not do that. _She began to run the periodic table in her head, holding her position, and working up the nerve to go back inside.

_I hope you all liked it so far! I promise I have big things in the works. Maura is going to have her baby soon, "the incident" will be revealed, Jane is going to get an opportunity to be a badass, and of course, they still have to realize their feelings for one another…but don't expect that too soon. This fic may be super long, I'm not sure yet. But I have so many ideas! Let me know what you thought of the chapter. I love hearing from everyone, and the next update will be out much quicker than this one as long as life permits._


	12. The Aftermath

Chapter 12

"The Aftermath"

Jane placed the casserole dish in the center of the table, moving to the sink to clean up the few pots that were dirtied in preparation of dinner before she called her family to eat. A car pulling into Maura's drive-way caught her attention. _Joseph's parents._

Jane leaned in, watching intently as a man in a nice suit stepped out of the vehicle. He walked around, an air of utter confidence and propriety surrounding him. He opened the door for who Jane assumed to be his wife. She stepped out of the vehicle, smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her expensive dress.

Jane studied them closely. It was obvious that they had money, and that they did not mind flaunting it—completely unlike Maura and Joseph. The pair didn't hide the scrutinizing look from their faces as they glanced around the cul-de-sac. Jane idly wondered how Joseph could ever be so humble after growing up with these two.

Richard entered the kitchen. Jane turned to him fiercely. "Come here," she whispered.

"Ok…" He leaned in to see exactly what she was looking at. "Who are they?"

"Joseph's parents."

Richard let out a whistle. "I didn't realize that Joseph came from money like that."

Jane said nothing, but knew that she was thinking the same thing.

"Jane, that's a Cadillac El…"

"El Dorado," she got out before the full name left his lips. "I noticed."

"That car is nearly six thousand dollars. It's barely been out a few months."

"I know."

Richard moved away from the window, clearly ready to eat, but Jane couldn't stop staring.

"They don't act like they come from…from _that_. You know?"

Richard nodded, sitting down in his chair.

_I wonder if Maura's family is like this. I would like to meet them._

She moved away from the window as they stepped onto the porch, out of Jane's view. "Frankie, Maggie, Richie, dinner time!" She yelled down the hall.

"It still doesn't make sense why they moved here, but I like them."

"I like them, too," Jane said as the kids stormed into the kitchen.

"What's for dinner, Mama?" Richie yelled.

"Chicken casserole."

Frankie let out a groan. "I don't like chicken casserole."

"You're eating it. You're mother worked very hard to make this. No complaining out of any of you."

Jane sank into the chair, and began to make each child's plate. She couldn't help but wonder how Maura's dinner was going. _I'll have to go over and visit some time tomorrow._

…

Maura was able to pull herself together and get through dinner. She noticed that Mildred carried on conversations as if nothing had happened between them in the kitchen. Maura merely kept her head down, responding only when necessary to keep up her polite façade. They discussed work with Joseph, school with Evelyn, and the coming baby. After dessert, Maura knew it was finally over. She could breathe again.

Joseph, Maura, and Evie walked Mildred and Albert to their car, Maura seemingly the only one who wasn't unhappy to see them go. Evelyn even cried a little as the pair said their goodbyes.

Mildred held her in her arms, rubbing small, soothing circles on her back. "It will be ok. I promise, sweetie. Grandpa and I will be back soon you'll see." She handed the little girl back to Joseph.

"It was so wonderful to see you both. We wish we could stay longer, but the drive back is much longer than from your old house."

Another jab, Maura knew it.

"We'll see you when that baby arrives for sure," Albert smiled in Maura's direction. It was like she could read his inner-thoughts. "My new grandson," he kept from uttering.

Maura turned to go back into the house before the car was out of sight. She wanted to get the dishes cleaned up so she could go to sleep early. The exhaustion seemed to be seeping from her every pore.

Joseph entered the kitchen, grabbing a towel to dry the dishes. "Everything was perfect."

Maura simply smiled, knowing where this would eventually lead and hoping to avoid a discussion about his parents. No matter how befuddling it was, she knew that he was unaware of her parent's coldness to her. During the course of their marriage, he had never once noticed and she never brought it up. He couldn't help the situation anymore than she could.

He began drying the dishes in silence. She knew he was hoping that she would talk about last night, the fight, but she couldn't. They had discussed the issue on too many occasions, and a resolution was never found—it didn't exist. No, they would not go round-and-round once more. She could only handle hearing so many of her shortcomings in one evening.

"You looked beautiful tonight." He placed a plate in the cabinet.

"Thank you," she muttered, knowing that he wasn't going to stop there. She tried to keep her anger at bay, focusing on scrubbing the fork in her hand.

"Dinner was absolutely perfect. The orange sauce you chose perfectly complimented the seasoning of the duck."

She couldn't hold back her emotions any longer.

"I can cook even though I'm not a chef?" The anger was plastered all over her face.

He stopped drying the coffee mug in his hand, placing it on the counter gently.

"Maura, you know that is an entirely different issue."

She dropped the fork into the sink, sending water splashing onto the counter. "Is it entirely different because I'm a woman? Is it?"

He stared at her incredulously, not used to her raising her voice. "Maura, you know that isn't the issue. It has nothing to do with your gender."

"Doesn't it? Doesn't it have _everything_ to do with my _gender_. Joseph?" She placed her hands on the countertop, gripping it as if it were the only thing in the world keeping her from spinning into orbit. "The whole reason we continually have this argument_ is_ because I'm a woman."

"Let's be logical here…"

"Yes, let's be logical. I will never be a doctor. I recognize that." A sob managed to escape from her throat. Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "I wish you wouldn't have brought this up. No matter how many times we discuss it, nothing will change."

"I'm sorry."

"Just stop. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I am going to bed." The tears were streaming down her face as she made her way to the bedroom.

"Maura, please just…wait."

She turned in the doorway. "No, I'm not talking about this anymore."

"You have to at least see my side, Maura. You have to understand where this is coming from."

She nodded, unable to stop crying. "It doesn't make it any easier to process."

"Calm down, try to think about the baby. It could…"

"I know the risks, Joseph. I understand how this process works. I know you can't seem to wrap your mind around that, but I am not ignorant to all things medical."

He moved closer, grabbing her upper arms gently. She pulled back as if his hands could somehow burn her—the disappointed look that ran across his features not lost on Maura. "Honey, I know you're not ignorant."

"Joseph, I am done with this. I'm not having this discussion again."

He merely nodded as she turned back towards the bedroom. She undressed and prepared for bed quickly. She laid down and turned on her side, crying silently into the crook of her elbow.

She could hear Joseph finishing the dishes, putting Evelyn to bed. She felt a tinge of guilt for abandoning her responsibilities for the evening.

"I want to kiss Mommy goodnight, Daddy." Evelyn's voice drifted down the hall. Maura sat up so that she could hear her better.

"Mommy isn't feeling well tonight, sweetheart. You can see her in the morning though."

"Is it the baby? Is she ok?"

"Mommy and the baby are just fine. She is just tired."

"Ok."

"You think the baby is going to be a girl?"

"Yes."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I want a sister. Boys are stinky."

"Ah, now Evie, I don't know if that's true. I'm not stinky, am I?"

"No, you're not stinky, but you're different. I _love_ you."

"You wouldn't love the baby if it was a boy?"

She sighed dramatically. "I guess so."

Joseph must have tickled her, because she erupted into a fit of laughter, making Maura smile. "I know you will. We all will love the baby, boy or girl. I'll see you in the morning, ok?"

"Ok. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams."

Maura laid back down, wanting to pretend to be asleep to avoid further conversation. He walked in, pulled out his pajamas and left. _He must be sleeping on the couch._

Another wave of guilt passed through her, but she did not let it linger. The thought of sleeping next to him at the moment was not one that was easily entertained. Her mind unconsciously drifted back to her discussion with Mildred. _Maybe she was right_. They had decided to move to Brookside to help make them whole again, to make things better. _Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this will not help us at all._

…

After the kids left to go to school, Jane waited an hour before she allowed herself to go to Maura's. "It's too early," she chided, knowing that anything before eight was considered impolite. She had already devised a scheme to borrow a half cup of sugar to bake a pie. That way it didn't look like she was coming over to interrogate her about her in-laws.

She tromped across the yard, eager to get answers to her many questions.

Jane knocked lightly, a strange burst of happiness hitting her as Maura opened the door.

"Hi Jane, I wasn't expecting to see you so early."

The sun streamed onto the porch, casting an almost heavenly glow around Maura. Jane found herself distracted for a moment, unable to spill out the speech she had rehearsed. "I, uh…I need to borrow a half cup of sugar, actually."

Maura furrowed her brow in confusion, tilting her head slightly to the right. "Ok, I can get it for you. Come in."

The two moved into the kitchen. Maura began to locate a measuring cup while Jane took a seat at the table. "Why do you need sugar at 8:30 in the morning?"

"I'm baking a pie."

"Oh, is something wrong?"

"No…why?"

"When I moved in, you brought me a pie and said that it made everything better. I just assumed that it was one of your comfort foods. There have been multiple research studies conducted that have actually linked certain foods with…why are you laughing?"

Jane couldn't help it. "The fact thing, I love it. It's just adorable."

"Than why are you laughing at me?"

"I've…I've never met anyone like you, that's all."

"Oh," Maura re-focused her attention on the sugar, unsure of how to respond to that statement.

Jane sensed the lull in the conversation and attacked it. She couldn't wait any longer to ask questions. "So how did dinner with your in-laws go?"

Maura knew that she couldn't lie. She couldn't just unload all of those problems on Jane, either though. That was why she had resisted the urge to run to her last night, right?

"Dinner went well." She hadn't lied. Dinner had went smoothly, and the food did turn out to be delicious.

Jane nodded, trying to sort through all of the questions in her head, weeding out the invasive ones. She couldn't pin point why she was so curious about Maura's life—she just was. "I saw them," she blurted out. _Now I sound creepy, perfect._

"Where?" Maura carried the sugar to the table, sinking into a chair next to Jane.

"When they pulled up I was cooking dinner. I saw them as they were getting out. They have a very nice car."

Maura nodded, wanting to side-step the money issue if at all possible. "It is very nice."

"Do you all get along? I mean, that's probably too personal. Don't answer that if you don't want to. It's just…I have a complicated relationship with my in-laws, too."

"We get along ok. They don't hate me, if that's what you mean."

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I shouldn't have asked."

"Oh no, it isn't that at all. I just…how is your relationship with Richard's parents?"

"Well, I've known them since I was a child. Richard and I grew up together, but I think I've already told you that."

Maura nodded, studying every word. She fervently hoped that her experience with Mildred was not far from ordinary.

"His parent's like me, but his mother doesn't always agree with everything that I do. And she's very vocal about it. But she's so much like my own Ma that there's never any lingering tension. I mean, I can't say I enjoy her company often, but we don't fight or anything."

"She doesn't agree with you on things?"

"It's hard for her to see her only son depend on someone else, I think. Richard doesn't have any siblings, so her life revolved around him until he married me at eighteen. So she likes to nit-pick at little things like the way my dishes are arranged in the cabinets or the way I pleat Richard's pants. It's always little things like that."

"Oh, that makes sense." Maura dropped her head for a moment, realizing that her situation was probably not as common as she had hoped.

"I'm glad it went well though. I could tell you were a little worked up getting ready for it."

"I was a little. Joseph's parents like things to be perfect, and I had let their visit slip my mind, so nothing was planned. Luckily it went well though."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Jane had so many more questions regarding Maura and Joseph's background, but she refrained from asking. She would unlock the pieces of the Thomas puzzle soon enough. "I guess I'm gonna go back home now."

"Ok, it was good to see you."

"You too."

They stood and walked to the door. Jane turned to face Maura, remembering her cool touch at the drive-in. A warm heat spread throughout her body—she wanted to touch Maura again. She quickly shook the thought from her head.

"I'll see you later."  
"Absolutely, you'll have to help me get Joseph and Evie ready for the camping trip. I don't really know what to pack."

"I can help you. Just call me whenever you plan on getting everything together."

"Ok, I will."

They stood, staring at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Neither truly wanted the visit to end, but refused to say so.

"Bye." Jane murmured, breaking the silence and edging out of the door.

"Bye." Maura closed the door and Jane made her way back over into her yard. She entered the kitchen, realizing that she had completely forgotten the sugar. She sprinted across the yard and up the steps, nearly colliding with Maura on the porch.

"Oh my goodness, Jane! You scared me. I was going to bring you the sugar. You forgot it."

"I-yeah…I remembered once I got home."

"Can't make a pie without it."

"True. Thanks. I'll bring you some over once I pick up a new bag at the store."

"That's really not necessary. You could bring me a piece of pie though." Maura smiled sweetly. Jane knew she couldn't say no. _Now I actually have to make a pie today._

"I can do that. It'll be done sometime in the afternoon."

"I'll be waiting," Maura smirked. "See you then."

Jane felt the heat course through her once more. She quickly attributed it to the running. "Ok," she replied, already anticipating the next time that she could see her again.

_You'll have to excuse the mistakes. This wasn't edited too carefully, but I do hope that you liked it!_

_I want to take this moment to just say thank you to you all for your continued support! You are awesome, and I love you! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)_


	13. Internal Musings

Chapter 13

"Internal Musings"

Jane stripped the sheets from her son's bed with ease. Every Wednesday morning since she had been married had been laundry day for bedclothes and blankets—tomorrow would be curtains and carpets. Her mind fell into a lulled state as she set about the familiar task, her hands working automatically to remove each set. The phone ringing in the kitchen drew her from her trance, awakening her dulled senses. She hurriedly finished removing Richie's fitted sheet before moving to the kitchen to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi Jane, how are you?"

"I'm alright," she said looking around at her empty house, glad to hear Maura's voice on the other end. "Everything ok?"

"Everything's fine, I'm just packing some things for Joseph and Evelyn's weekend excursion." Maura paused on the other end, leaving Jane unsure of where this was headed. "I'm not exactly sure what one would need on a camping trip. That's all."

Jane laughed. "I see, so you called to see if I would help, right?"

"Well, I just wanted to see what you had packed for your Richard and the children so that I could use it as a comparison."

"I haven't started packing just yet, but I could tell you what they normally take if that would help."

Maura gasped on the other end. "Jane, you haven't packed a single thing? It's Wednesday. They leave in two days."

"Exactly, it's Wednesday. I have all of tomorrow to pack."

"It just doesn't seem like an ample amount of time to pack for four people to me."  
Jane laughed at her friend's concern. "If you're so worried about it, then why don't you come over and help me?"

"Ok, but only if you'll help me afterwards."

"Fine," Jane playfully groaned. "Wear your work clothes."

"I'll be over shortly."

…

Jane walked out of her front door, fixing the heel of her canvas tennis shoe that she normally wore to complete outdoor work. She caught a glimpse of Maura, who promptly waved as she crossed over into her yard.

The wind whipped her hair around her shoulders and Jane couldn't help but stare. "What are you wearing?" She asked, taking in the obviously nice dress and shoes.

"What do you mean?" Maura asked, looking down at her outfit.

"That," she dramatically looked up and down Maura's figure, "does not look like something that you would wear to dig through a cluttered shed to me."

"Oh, these are my work clothes," Maura smiled, shaking her shoulders slightly. "You don't like them?"

"No, I mean, you look really nice. I just don't want you to mess them up."

"Don't worry about that. I've never really liked this dress anyways. I never wear it."

"Ok, then. Well, everything is just sort of piled into the shed. I may have to dig through the boxes. You don't really have to do any of the lifting or anything, maybe just help me sort through things."

"Whatever you need me to do," Maura smiled, simply happy to be in Jane's company.

They made their way over to the wooden shed in the corner of Jane's backyard. It was painted a light grey color and it looked as if Richard may have built it himself. Jane unlocked the door and turned to Maura before she let the door swing open. "It will be both disorganized and messy in here. Prepare yourself."

"Oh Jane, it's not going to bother me."

"You haven't seen it yet," she mumbled as the doors opened, revealing box after box piled wherever there was an inch of free space.

"I need to find the boxes labeled camping supplies, and then I need to go through them."

Jane began pulling boxes from the shed and forming two piles: boxes with camping supplies, and boxes without. Maura opened the first box and found an old red jersey. She gingerly lifted it up, discovering that it was homemade and looked to be pretty old.

"Who's is this, Jane?"

Jane turned, doing a double-take at article of clothing. "Oh, that's mine. I made that." Jane laughed, setting down the box within her arms. "Frankie was in a football league and Tommy was playing soccer. I wanted to play too, but you know how that went." She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't understand why I couldn't play as a child, so I just made my own jersey and wore it to the games. It made me feel included."

Maura imagined a young Jane running around the football stadium in her little jersey, a ball cap upon her head. _She must have been so cute_. Then she thought of how she must have felt watching her younger brothers being able to participate while she had to sit on the sideline. In a way, it made her feel even closer to Jane. She knew that she had faced similar dejection in her own life. The thought made her want to take Jane into her arms and make her forget all of those memories.

Jane took the jersey from her hand, running her fingers along the fabric. "Can you set that aside? I'm gonna put that in the house."

Maura nodded, loving this side of Jane, nostalgic and sentimental. "My Ma put me in ballet when I was little. I hated it."

"You were in ballet?" New images of a little Jane frowning in her pink tutu and ballet shoes, unruly curls pinned haphazardly into a bun flashed into her mind. It was almost as cute as little Jane in her jersey.

"Yeah, Ma knew I hated it. I guess she just wanted me to be involved in something. I don't know."

"It has been proven that children who are involved in some type of extracurricular activity alongside of their educational studies become more responsible, well-rounded adults." Maura stated matter-of-factly, moving a smaller box into the non-camping supplies pile.

"I cried every time I had to go to class." Jane said smiling, moving an air pump to the corner of the shed. "I'm not exactly sure how that made me more 'well-rounded.'"

"I was in ballet. I couldn't wait to go. That's what made me feel included."

"Ballet made you feel included?" Jane scoffed at the idea. "Were all of your friends in it or something?"

"I didn't have any friends growing up, not really."

Jane didn't know what to say. Surely she was exaggerating. Maura was so intelligent and thoughtful and sincere, and kind and gorgeous; Jane had never met anyone like her. _She's probably the most amazing person I've ever known._

"I was kind of an odd child, Jane. My parents were busy with lives of their own, I don't have any siblings, and I wasn't very good at making friends. I spent most of my time alone."

She paused, unsure of how much detail she should reveal to her new friend. She wanted to tell her, wanted Jane to know, but she also didn't want her to feel sorry for her.

"I know that they loved me; it's just that I didn't ask for much—I didn't really know how, and the less that I would ask for the less time that they would have for me. I begged my parents to go to boarding school when I was ten."

Jane moved to sit next to Maura. "They didn't force you to go to boarding school?"

Maura nodded, waiting for the judgment that would inevitably follow. "No, I wanted to go. I think I was the one who sent for the brochure. I don't tell many people that."

"Why not? I think it's neat."

"Really?"

"Sure, I got maybe half of the education that you got where I went to school."

"I've never attended a public school, but I always wanted to."

"Did you go to a private school before boarding school?"

Maura nodded.

"What made you want the change?"

"I thought that I could make friends easier there, but I can't say that my fellow classmates were terribly friendly to me at either establishment. Like I said, I was an odd child, Jane."

"I'm sure you weren't odd, Maura." She placed her hand on Maura's arm in an effort to make her feel more at ease.

Maura let out a small laugh. "No, I was. I liked to dissect frogs and study, and I wasn't very good at talking to people. As a matter of fact, you could say that I had somewhat of a phobia of people until college. I started to find people who accepted me more fully."

"I'm sorry, Maur."

"Don't be," she smiled. "I enjoyed my time there. I've always had an affinity for school."

"I would love for my children to be able to receive an education like that."

"That's kind of humorous in contrast to my situation. I have fought so hard to keep Evie in the public school system. I can't bear the thought of my children facing the same rejection that I faced. I definitely have a different set of goals for my children than my parents did for me."

"Did they want you to go to boarding school?"

"No, but it wasn't the education aspect of it, it was the student body. Boarding schools are separated by gender. I couldn't very well find a husband for myself there."

Jane nodded, understanding the dilemma now. "Why did they let you go then?"

"At ten it didn't matter as much, but they discovered that they held mixers for the higher grades between the girls and boys schools."

"Oh."

"I had to promise as a teenager that I would try to find a husband at the mixers in order to continue attending school at Windham."

"Windham, is that what it was called?" Jane let out a laugh, doubling over almost into Maura's lap.

"What?"

"It's just-just that those fancy schools have such pretentious names."

Maura rolled her eyes and pushed Jane playfully. Something in a nearby box caught her eye. She reached in, pulling out a medium-sized wooden object. It was shaped like a duck and had a string attached to the front.

"Who's was this?"

Jane eyed the object, holding back the emotion that she could feel welling up inside of her. She reached out for the object, running her hands over the wooden surface. It was simple, plain, and old, but it meant so much to her.

"My dad made this for me when I was little," she said breathlessly. "It's kinda just been passed down through the family."

Maura noticed Jane's emotional reaction. Jane had never mentioned her father before, but Maura had noted his absence.

"He died overseas…in World War II. They couldn't find his body." Jane didn't cry, too many years had passed for her to cry every time he came up in conversation, but she couldn't help but miss him. No one knew, but she cried sometimes when she knew she was alone. She cried at everything her father couldn't be a part of, everything she wished that her father could see.

Maura grabbed Jane's hand, giving it a light reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry."

Jane smiled at Maura, leaning in to her a little more. "Thanks."

Jane held Maura's gaze, soaking in the warmth it provided. She re-focused on the object in her lap, smiling reverently. "I didn't know that it was out here. Richard must have thrown it in one of the boxes when we were cleaning out the house."

"It's beautifully crafted."

Jane nodded. "My father was good at almost everything."

Maura smiled, not wanting to pry. She didn't want to push Jane into a discussion that she was uncomfortable with.

"Could you place this in the pile with the jersey? I'm going to get a few more boxes. I think that there are two more that I need."

Maura nodded, placing the duck softly on top of the jersey. A part of her wished that she had objects from her childhood that she could show Jane, but there were none. She began to dig through the box once more, not even worrying about the camping supplies at this point.

"This is cute," Maura exclaimed, holding up a small stuffed rabbit.

Jane carried out another box, smiling as her eyes caught sight of the stuffed animal. "That was Maggie's. Ma bought it for her when she was born. It sat on the shelf in her room for years."

"Perhaps you should go through some of these boxes and make sure that there is nothing of value to you in one."

"I guess that would be a good idea, yeah. I'll get Richard to help me before it starts getting too warm out. He whines like a two year old if he has to do anything beyond simple projects and mowing the lawn in the summer." She turned back into the shed. "It's too hot for this," she mimicked, eliciting a laugh from Maura.

"You have quite a bit of stuff stowed away."

Jane laughed, hanging half of her body out of the shed to see Maura more clearly. "Are you going to actually go through the camping supplies some time soon?"

Maura turned to Jane, unsure if she was upset with her until a large grin broke out across her features. She smiled back playfully, "I'm sure I'll get around to it."

Jane barely had time to pull herself back into the shed before she heard Maura ask her a question once again.

"Jane, what is this?" She held up the little wooden box for Jane to see. Jane's felt her knees give slightly. She watched as Maura opened it carefully to see inside. _Please don't notice._

Maura pulled out an old charm bracelet from inside. "This is neat. What is this?"

"Old jewelry box," Jane managed to get out. She wanted to snatch the box from Maura's hands, but she found that she was rooted to her spot.

"Is this bracelet all that's in here?" Maura lifted the top tray out of the box to investigate further. Jane internally winced. _I had forgotten that this was in here. Why did I not hide it…or burn it for that matter?_

"I didn't have much jewelry. It's pretty bare." Jane hoped that it would deter Maura's curiosity.

"The lining is beautiful. Did you purchase it like this or did you do it yourself?" Maura ran her fingers around the edges carefully, studying the pattern of the material. "I always liked to line my jewelry boxes myself. I liked to make secret compart…" Maura stopped; Jane knew that she had found the exact thing that she didn't want her to find. _Of course she did. How do I explain this?_

"Did you do the same thing? I thought that I was the only one." Maura peeled back the lining carefully, revealing a tiny sprig of lavender. "Lavender? Why did you hide that?"

"I-I liked the smell." _Lie._Jane's stomach churned as the rest of the lie tumbled from her lips before she could control it.

"The box smelled like pine, and I didn't like it. I had the idea to place the uh, lavender in there to hide the smell." Jane hated to lie to Maura, she didn't want to, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell her the truth. The truth that no one knew about, that she had carried around with her for years.

Maura's eyes brightened. "Jane, that's genius! I would have never thought of that."

"Well, you're not the only smart one in this friendship," Jane smiled half-heartedly, fidgeting with the pleat in her pants.

Maura shot her a fake look of scorn and made her way over to the box of actual camping supplies. "Very funny, now let's get down to work."

"You're the one holding up this process." Jane shot back with a smile.

…

It didn't take long to get the Reed bunch packed and ready for the trip once Maura found the self-control it took to stop rummaging through Jane's old things. The two women cleaned up the mess in Jane's yard and made their way to Maura's.

Jane walked into the living room only to be greeted by a very large stack of camping equipment. "Uh…Maura, what is all this?"

Maura, only a few steps behind Jane surveyed the scene with a fairly different reaction. "Oh, this is everything that I had purchased for the weekend."

"It's…a lot." Jane looked more closely, finding fishing rods, backpacks, tackle boxes, sleeping bags, candles, manuals, maps. "They won't need half of these things."

"Well, I had only hoped that they would be prepared in the event of…"

"In the event of what, Maur?" She walked into the center of the room. "A flood?" she pointed to box for an emergency raft.

"Well, I…"

"Or a…fire?" She grabbed the fire extinguisher and held it in the air. "Really?"

"I know that they will be using an open flame to cook their meals so I was only thinking ahead in case the fire happened to get out of hand."

"How do you expect them to carry all of this into the woods, anyways?" Jane said as she moved around the large array of items.

"I bought them both a backpack."

Jane laughed, holding up the large camping backpack that was clearly intended for Joseph to wear. "You mean this one? Because that's not going to fit the set of tin dishes, the large tent, the raft, the Swiss army knife, the fire extinguisher, the sleeping bags, the…Boy Scout Manual, the…"

"Ok, I understand. I may have overdone it a tad."

Jane stood open-mouthed gesturing to the living room full of supplies. "A tad?"

"Significantly overdone. Does that make you feel better?" Maura smiled.

"Yes. Now, let's work on sorting through your junk now."

Maura shook her head, wishing that she could spend every moment with Jane. She made the most dull, monotonous tasks seem fun. _How does she do that?_

Maura waded into the pile, laughing as Jane made fun of almost every item that she came in contact with. She found that she didn't even mind. _I cannot wait for this weekend._

**Hope you all enjoyed it! I had to figure out a few storylines before writing this chapter, but as you can see, I have them figured out! Thanks for sticking with me! I truly love writing this fic. I'm glad you all like it! Thanks for reading.**


	14. Nightmares

_Ok, I'm going to go ahead and warn you, this is long and super emotional. The incident is revealed. I've had this chapter planned out since I started the whole fic, so I hope I do my idea justice. Please don't want to hurt me after this._

Chapter 14

"Nightmares"

"Goodbye, sweetheart. You're going to have so much fun." Maura said cheerfully, enveloping her daughter in a hug. She was a bit unsure about her leaving for the whole weekend, but she trusted Joseph, knowing how much their daughter meant to him.

Evelyn nodded against her shoulder vigorously. "I know. Mommy, you're squeezing me." She placed her tiny hands on Maura's shoulders, trying to put a little space in between them. Maura laughed, releasing her at arms length. "I love you, Evie. Be sure to mind your father, and stay close."

The little girl nodded, running off to stand beside Maggie. Maura smiled, the excitement coursing their tiny bodies was evident. She watched as Jane bent down to give Frankie and Richie a hug. Neither boy clung to her for long before running off to grab their fishing poles against the house. Maggie moved to her mother, pulling her in a hug. Maura smiled, and walked over to stand near them.

Jane released Maggie, but held firm to her forearm. "Maggie, I'm serious. You have to be good. No picking on your brothers, no whining, and no running off, do you understand?"

Maggie sighed, her shoulders falling forward in a dramatic gesture. _She's so much like Jane. _"Yes ma'm," she uttered, barely discernable.

"Ok. I love you."

"I love you, too. Come on, Evie! Let's go claim our seats!" She exclaimed, spinning around on her heel and pulling the other girl along with her.

Jane shook her head. "Don't let that sweet face fool you. She can be trouble sometimes, believe me. My mother never lets me forget how she is exactly like I was at her age."

Maura smiled, loving the thought as she watched the two girls prancing off to the car, Maggie's olive skin and dark curls the perfect contrast to Evie's pale complexion and honey colored hair.

"Did you say that this would be Maggie's first camping trip?"

Jane nodded, turning towards the house to see why Richard was taking so long. "Richard always takes the boys. I gave her a very long, 'this is what you're in for' speech last night to see if she would change her mind."

"And what did that entail, exactly?"

"Oh you know, the whole "once you're there you can't come home, you'll be sleeping in a tent, there will be bugs" speech."

A look of worry crossed Maura's face. "Oh dear, I didn't think to give Evelyn every detail of the trip. Should I try to now?"

Jane shrugged. "If I know Maggie, she'll tough it out no matter what. I don't know if that will help Evie at all, but she isn't going to let the boys know that she can't handle the dirt or the bugs."

"And Evie won't want to let Maggie know that she can't handle it either. She'll be fine." Maura reassured herself.

Richard came out of the front door, keys in hand. He walked over to Jane, easing his palm onto her right hip in a familiar gesture and giving her cheek a light peck. "Everything in the car?" Jane nodded. He waved to both women and turned to get into the vehicle. "He's a romantic, that one." Jane sighed, eliciting a giggle from Maura.

Joseph was soon at Maura's side. He took her hand in his, pulling her to him lightly. She smiled at the playful gesture as he rested his hand along her jaw line, thumb against her cheek. "Are you going to be, ok?"

Maura cast her eyes down playfully. "Of course."

"I'll find a phone to check in every day, ok? Maybe even twice."

Maura shook her head. "No, don't do that. Enjoy the trip. We'll be fine." Maura rested her hand upon her abdomen, making sure to emphasize the "we'll" in that statement.

Joseph nodded, leaning in for a kiss. "I'll miss you," he mumbled against her lips. She laughed, kissing him momentarily before pushing him away.

"You're making a scene. You'll be back before you know it. Go have fun." She gestured towards the car, smiling at his sincerity, something she never doubted.

"Alright, I _will_ miss you, though." He kissed her cheek once more, and placed his hand across her stomach. "And I'm still going to call to check in on you."

"I know you will. I'll want to know how Evie's doing, anyways."

"I'll see you, Sunday." He began walking to the car, and Maura returned to stand next to Jane. "You two girls have fun. No wild parties. We all know Maura and her wild escapades. Be mindful and don't let her drag you into them, Jane."

"She hasn't seen anything, yet." Jane smirked mischievously.

Soon, everyone was loaded into the Reeds' vehicle and was headed off for the weekend. Jane and Maura stood in the driveway as they watched the car drive out of the cul-de-sac.

"Well, this is strange," Jane said, looking back at her now-empty house. "Normally it's just me and Maggie."

Maura smiled, hooking her arm within Jane's. "Well now it's just me and you, pal," she grinned, her dimples supremely evident.

"I guess I should head back in and start on the dinner dishes. Want to start our wonderful glorious weekend now doing that, or wait until tomorrow?" Jane smirked, cocking her head to the side. "Dishes could be fun."

Maura laughed, shaking her head. "Tomorrow would be better. I do believe that I can utilize this time to attempt some leisurely reading."

"Leisurely reading? What would _that_ entail?"

Maura shrugged, "Most likely one of the newer medical texts that I haven't had a chance to scour."

Jane groaned. "Dishes and medical textbooks. What a wild pair we make."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jane. Enjoy the silence."

"Believe me, I will."

…

Maura sank into her favorite chair in the living room, propping her swollen feet onto the foot rest. She looked around, realizing that this would be her first time alone in this house. In truth, it would be one of only a handful of times that she would be completely alone since she had married Joseph.

She opened the book, slowly becoming lost in the text. She committed each new term to memory, cataloging everything that she read. Joseph always laughed at her for actually _wanting_ to read those books. He would never understand.

She felt a dull ache in her lower back, and readjusted her body slightly, assuming that it was the chair. Ten minutes passed, but the ache didn't seem to go away. She placed a pillow behind her, hoping that the added support would help.

The ache persisted, eventually traveling to the bottom of her stomach. She massaged the area slowly, hoping to alleviate the discomfort. It eased after awhile, and she resumed her book once more. She reached the section on ossification in adolescents when the pain returned, this time higher and more of sharp pain than a dull ache. It felt like her throat was beginning to close, and she tried to calm herself down. Rationally, she knew it was nothing and that she was fine, but those statements weren't necessarily cementing in her mind.

A small layer of sweat prickled her brow. _I don't want to be alone. _She tried to control her breathing, knowing that it was only making the pains worse. She stood from the chair, legs feeling like gelatin, and moved to the kitchen. She dialed Jane's number craving the sense of security that always followed in her presence.

"Hello?"

"Jane? Could you-come over here, maybe?"

Jane laughed pleasantly. "You afraid of the dark?" she teased.

"Not exactly."

Jane's tone immediately changed to one of concern. "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, well, mostly. I just don't want to be alone right now."

"Ok, I'll be right over."

"Ok."

Maura hung up the phone and began pacing around the kitchen, waiting for her friend. The knock on the door seemed like the sweetest sound in the world. Maura opened the door, taking note of Jane's nightcap. _She didn't even change. How sweet._

Jane simultaneously noted the distress across Maura's features. She walked inside, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm having muscle cramps in my back and abdomen."

Jane's eyes grew wide. "Maura, you're not…"

"No, that's not it," she cut her off. "I know it's not. This is perfectly normal. This is how your body prepares for the delivery. The muscles in your…"

"I don't really need the medical definition of it. Just as long as you're ok."

"I just don't want to be alone, that's all."

"I'll sit with you for a little while if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much. Thank you."

…

The women chatted for a few hours, neither realizing the time. Jane glanced at the clock and gasped. "Gee wiz, Maura; it's almost one in the morning."

"I guess I haven't been paying attention. I can't remember the last time I've seen one o'clock. Most likely since Evelyn was an infant."

"You'll be seeing a lot more of it with the next one, I'm sure. Nightly feedings are something that I don't miss at all. I was thrilled when my children began sleeping through the night."

"Evelyn only woke-up twice a night for the first month, and then only one for the next three or four. She was a very easy baby."

Jane let her mouth flop open. "My kids were nothing like that. I was up four or five times a night with Richie, and three to four with Maggie. Frankie was the easiest. That's why he has siblings," Jane joked, loving the way that Maura laughed.

"When she started waking up for only one bottle, Joseph and I would take shifts, so there were many nights where I got a full night's sleep." Maura was hoping to prolong the conversation. She really didn't want to be left alone.

"Richard almost never helped with diapers or bottles. Typical man." Jane stood from her chair adjacent Maura's. "I really should be going," she said, not wanting to overstay her welcome.

"No," Maura said a little too forcefully before she could stop it.

Jane shot her a surprised look, and Maura began to backtrack. "What I mean to say was you could stay, if you'd like. I'm not used to being alone at night anymore."

Jane considered the offer. She had never really stayed alone either. She wasn't afraid, but a part of her truly didn't want to leave.

"I'll stay."

"Thank you. Here, we can go lay down now." Maura took Jane's arm before she had a chance to protest. She didn't care if she was being bossy; she knew she couldn't stay alone tonight. "I'll sleep on Joseph's side of the bed in case that's odd for you. I'm not sure how I would feel on Richard's side."

Jane was grateful for the sentiment as she eased down onto the mattress, noting how comfortable it was. She groaned and lay back onto the pillow. "Wow, I may stay here every night."

Maura looked over at Jane in her bed. She kind of liked the thought of Jane in her bed every night. _What?_ Maura stopped herself. _The companionship. That's why. _She had never had this kind of interaction when she was younger; this was simply her way of deriving it now. _It can be just like a slumber party._

Maura lie back onto the bed and felt the day hit her. She hadn't realized that she was so tired. "Thank you for staying with me," Maura yawned.

"You're welcome," Jane yawned in return. Both felt their eyes closing, and neither tried to fight it.

…

A searing pain rocketed through her middle, doubling her over in near-agony. _No, this isn't happening. It can't be happening._ Panic began to take hold, making her head spin.

"Mrs. Thomas," a voice sounded in the background, muffled and only barely audible above the sound of her heartbeat beating within her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to block the rays of the strong white light above her. _It's too real. This can't be happening, not again._

She longed for human contact, needed someone to hold her hand, assure her that it would be over soon—anything to ease the pain. The muffled voice came back. She couldn't make out what it was saying. "Sedate…distress…forceps."

A cold, clinical hand moved to her abdomen, applying slight pressure. "No!" she cried out, but the words never seemed to pass her lips. Her head felt heavy, falling against the pillows as everything in the room became fractured and disfigured, like falling through a kaleidoscope. The other voices became louder, but she couldn't hear what they were saying. She was sinking into a world that she had visited once before, a pleasant haze of nothingness.

In an instant, her body was snapped out of the bed. She was fully erect and alert, watching from the corner of a hospital room. Curious as to what was going on, she moved closer to the mass of individuals huddled around the lifeless form on the bed. _A woman. She must be giving birth._

"Forceps," the doctor replied. She cringed and looked away at the very sight of the tool. She chose to focus instead on the woman. _Who is she? Why am I here?_ The body lay entirely still, sedated and oblivious as the doctors worked between her legs. She eased forward, trying to make out the face.

'He's not breathing," the man who was previously holding the forceps said. He handed the baby off to a nurse and continued his work on the mother. Her heart sank in her chest, unable to tear her gaze away from the tiny body as they worked on him. _This poor woman and she doesn't even know it yet. _Her eyes flicked back to the bed, realizing in that moment exactly who was laying there.

Then, as quickly as she had been standing, she was back in the bed. Her eyes opened slowly, trying to adjust to the light and fight through the drugs. "Mrs. Thomas…"

She heard her name again, and turned to find the source. Her lips felt like sandpaper and her tongue like a paperweight. "Baby," she managed in a gravely tone.

"The baby didn't make it." Her heart sank, unsure if she heard the voice correctly. _It was me. That was my son._

Everything went black; Maura clawed in an effort to free herself, but couldn't seem to wrestle her way back to consciousness. Panic surged within her chest.

"No!" she yelled out. "My baby, my baby!"

"Maura," another voice accompanied hers in the darkness. She felt two hands on her arms, and she fought them, sure that those arms were the ones who whisked her child away from her.

"Maura!" The voice grew louder. A small light seemed to open up, and she fought towards it. It was as if she was wading through molasses, but she fought, trudged on.

"Maura! Wake up!"

_It's Jane._ Maura's eyes sprang open; her breaths coming in small, ragged gasps, and sweat matting her hair to her face.

"Maura, you must have been dreaming. You're ok, you're fine now." Jane wrapped her arms around her as Maura buried her face into her chest. Maura clung to her, needing to feel something real, something alive. The sob escaped her lips before she had time to process it. It shook her whole body as she leaned into Jane's lithe form for support.

Jane held her, running her fingers through Maura's hair, rubbing small circles on her back. "You're ok now, I promise." She waited for Maura's cries to settle.

Minutes ticked by, but Jane said nothing. She rested her cheek on the top of Maura's head and held her as if she were the only thing keeping her from floating away.

"I'm so sorry," Maura managed to verbalize.

Jane shook her head, never lifting it from Maura's. "Don't be. It was just a dream, its ok."

Maura's grip tightened and she buried her face deeper into Jane's chest. "No…not…" Maura's breath continued to catch in her throat. Jane felt her stomach knot with every gasp. She began to shush her as she would one of her children, hoping that this basic comfort could ease the pain.

"Calm down and then you can tell me." She felt Maura's head bob slightly against her.

Maura pulled back, her sobs subsiding. The sight was almost too much for Jane. Even in the darkness Jane could see how puffy and red her eyes were, her hair was plastered haphazardly around her face, and her face glistened with a mixture of tears and sweat. Maura was so clearly hurting, but she had no idea how to make it better.

"Let me go get a washcloth. It will cool…"

Maura threw her body against Jane's. "No! Please don't leave me, Jane. Please don't leave me."

Jane relaxed into her, resuming their previous position. "Ok, I won't. I promise."

The silence settled around them. Jane waited for Maura to speak first. If she needed to talk, then she would listen. If she needed to be held, Jane would hold her—whatever she needed.

"It wasn't a dream, Jane," Maura whispered, her voice hoarse. "I lost my baby."

Jane felt a surge of panic. _What does she mean?_

"This is my third child. I…lost my second." She began to cry again. "He was…stillborn."

Jane pulled her closer. "I'm so sorry, Maura."

A moment passed. Jane wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it.

"I haven't dreamt about him in a long time, not about his birth anyways." Maura's voice began to sound far away, breaking Jane's heart even more. "He was so tiny and small, no where near the size of Evelyn." Maura swallowed loudly, pushing herself forward. She wanted to tell Jane.

"The labor was progressing normally, and then something happened. Joseph poured himself into every medical text he could find trying to find the answer, but all we really know for sure is that he was in distress. When he was born he was," her voice caught in her throat. Jane wanted to tell her that she didn't have to continue if it hurt to talk about it, but she bit her tongue.

"He was blue, and his head was slightly deformed from the forceps, but he was beautiful. God, he was beautiful, Jane." She paused, as if she were going over his tiny features in her mind. Tears began to stream down Jane's face, catching in Maura's hair.

"I held him. They didn't want to let me, Joseph didn't want to see him, but I did. I held him as long as I could. I kept staring at him, hoping that he would breathe, open his eyes, anything. He was so alive inside of me, so active, and then he was just gone. I kept telling myself that he just wasn't strong enough for the world. He was…so small." She began to cry again. Jane moved her hand to Maura's cheek, stroking it softly.

"I named him." Maura paused. "Will. Joseph refused to acknowledge it. He cringes every time I say the name, but I rarely do. It still hurts.

"That's why we're here, Jane. That's why I'm in Brookside. We all never fully recovered from his passing. Sometimes I still feel like I'm slipping away."

Maura sat up, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. She focused her attention on her hands, unable to look into Jane's eyes as she recounted the worst few months of her life. "I thought that losing Will was bad, but the months that followed proved to be far worse. Joseph and I processed it the ordeal so very differently. I didn't let him touch me for a whole year; I broke down into tears every time he tried. I couldn't bear to be around him. I didn't look at him for two months."

"Joseph was devastated. He wouldn't hold him in the hospital, and really didn't want me to. He still won't say his name. You know how much he loves Evelyn. He wanted another child so badly, but the way he handled everything still upsets me. I know now that it was just his way of coping and processing the event, but I can't seem to let go of some of my anger. That was our baby, our baby boy…and he can't even say his name. He refuses to acknowledge that he has a name, that he did once exist. I could feel him, Jane. He was alive, and then he…he just wasn't."

"I wanted to have a funeral for him, but Joseph wouldn't let me, not like I wanted anyways. He's in Joseph's family's plot, but we weren't there when they buried him—no one was. We went after he was buried and the headstone was up. I think that he thought that it would hurt me more to see the burial, but I just feel like I wasn't given the closure that I needed. There's still an empty space in my heart that I'm not sure will ever heal."

"I know that it broke him, but it broke me too. I can't say that we've moved past it, but we've moved here to try. Not to forget him, I could never forget him, but I'm afraid that that's what Joseph wants to do. I can't bear the thought."

"I think about him sometimes. What he might look like, or sound like. He would be three." Maura began to sob once more. Jane edged forward and pulled her close.

"I'm so sorry, Maura." Jane was crying almost as hard as Maura. She couldn't imagine losing a child, but she knew loss. She knew what it felt like to be deprived of a sense of closure, but she kept it to herself. Right now it was Maura's time to break down. Jane knew that they still had the whole weekend for everything else to bubble to the surface.

_I really hope that was ok. It's taken awhile for me to piece it together. I don't normally ask for reviews, but I would really love some feedback on this one. So if you have a moment, I would love to hear your reaction. As always, thanks for reading!_


	15. Fragile

_Yes, this is real. I'm finally updating. And if you are reading this right now, thank you so much for sticking with me. I know it's been awhile since I've updated, but let's just say that the past few months have been nothing but one big tumultuous mess of crazy. I have never been so happy to put a semester behind me. But today was the official ending, so I finished the chapter! Hope you like it!_

Chapter 15

"Fragile"

Jane awoke slowly, disoriented by the strong rays of light that swam into the room. Her eyes adjusted, taking in the new environment around her. _I'm in Maura's bed. _She sat up, committing every detail to memory. _This is how Maura wakes up every morning._ She ran her fingers over the soft sheets, reveling at the soft feeling against her fingerprints. _This is where Maura sleeps. _Her hands traversed the material of the comforter resting against her legs, material that usually lay against Maura's. As her eyes continued their journey, she realized that nothing felt out of place. It felt like home in an odd way.

Soft sounds from the kitchen drifted down the hall, catching Jane's attention and reminding her that Maura was not in bed with her. She kicked back the covers and followed the noise. After last night she needed to see that Maura was ok.

Jane rounded the corner and leaned into the doorframe of the kitchen. Maura was standing with her back to her, clearly beginning to cook. Jane wanted to wrap her in her arms and force all of the hurt in her past to fall away.

"Morning," Jane said softly, unsure of how Maura was feeling.

She turned, a slow smile spreading across her features. "Good morning to you." Her nose wrinkled playfully as she spoke and Jane couldn't help but smile. "I'm making breakfast for us."

"You don't have to do that, Maura." Jane knew what she was doing. It was written all over her face. She felt guilty for breaking down and she was trying to make it disappear or smooth it over with eggs and sausage.

"I want to. You're my guest and…"

"Maura…" Jane moved to her side. "It's ok."

Maura looked down at the counter, her eyes sweeping across the ingredients she had pulled from the fridge. "It's not ok, Jane. I ruined our weekend."

"What?" Jane replied a little too forcefully. "You didn't ruin our weekend at all! I'm glad that last night happened, Maura. I'm so happy that you feel comfortable enough to let me in to your past like that."

Maura nodded, but didn't look up. She couldn't look at Jane's face right now. She was too afraid that she would see something along the lines of pity etched into her features. That look had been cast in her direction too often for her to bear it, especially from Jane.

"I'm serious, Maur. From the moment you moved in I wanted you to be my friend, and now you are. This is what friend's do."

Maura didn't mention that she wouldn't have known that, never really having a friend before Jane. She allowed her eyes to shift upwards to meet Jane's, studying them for a moment. No sign of pity could be found. A small smile crossed her lips. "Thank you, Jane."

A beat of silence hung between them as they studied one another. Jane broke it, a wistful smile against her lips. "Now, let's start thinking about what we are going to do with this _whole_ day to ourselves," she said, gently smacking the side of Maura's hip with the back of her hand as she moved to the table.

"I wouldn't mind going into town for the day."

"And doing what?" Jane quirked her eyebrow, having a feeling that she knew where this was going.

"I don't know. Walk around, shop, eat lunch. It'll be nice."

Shop. Jane knew it. "We can do that. But I'd hate for you to mess up your kitchen with a big breakfast."

"It's no trouble at all, really."

"Are you even that hungry?"

Maura paused for a moment. "Not really."

"Ok, then put away everything but the eggs and toast. It's already nine-thirty. We won't need anything too big this late in the morning."

"Good point."

"Here, let me put all of this extra stuff away while you start on breakfast."

Maura nodded, turning to the mixing bowl and carton of eggs on the counter. She reached for one, cracking it slowly. She observed the tiny fractures in the shell, realizing what little protection the inside of the egg had from the world. She picked up the second egg, rolling it in her hand. Jane turned around, noticing Maura studying the egg carefully.

"What are you doing?"

Maura jumped slightly, caught off guard. "Nothing, I'm just…nothing."

Jane laughed, "You don't have to keep it from me, you know."

"Did you know that the shell of an egg has thousands of tiny pores on its surface?"

"I…did not." Jane tried to hide her confusion.

"It seems to be solid, but it isn't. An egg appears to be so many things that it isn't."

"They are master magicians. Egg-dini himself," Jane chuckled, but stopped after Maura did not join in. The silence led Jane to believe that Maura's strange monologue was over, but her voice picked back up slowly, throwing Jane off-guard.

"This shell is so thin—it fractures so easily. If you didn't know how weak the outer covering truly was, you would never know. Aesthetically speaking, it appears to be strong, but it isn't. It isn't at all. The calcium carbonate crystals do not hold up against any outside force" Maura paused, rolling the shell in her hand in near-awe. Jane studied what little of her face that she could see, wondering what she could possibly be thinking. Her eyes fell upon the shell in Maura's hand. Suddenly it all came together. She understood exactly what Maura was piecing together in her own scientific way.

"I know what you mean," Jane said breathily. Maura turned to her, studying her closely.

"You do?"

Jane nodded. "We are the egg. As weird as this whole metaphor sounds, we are the egg. We go through life believing that we have some sort of protection from the evils of the world, but then something happens and we realize that we aren't safe at all." Jane could feel her eyes beginning to water. She tried to hold them back, tried to keep from turning this around to her pain, her suffering. "Nothing can protect us, and the hurt…" Jane's voice cracked, bringing forth the tears that she had been reining in for what felt like centuries. She swiped the back of her hand across her cheeks furiously. "The hurt never goes away."

Maura moved across the room and eased into the chair next to Jane. She placed her hand atop Jane's forearm, ready to comfort Jane if she needed to talk.

"I'm sorry."

Maura said nothing. On an impulse, she wrapped her arms around Jane, pulling her close to her body. Jane turned her head into Maura, craving the comfort and support she was offering. Her few tears turned into sobs, breaking Maura's heart. She wove her fingers through Jane's hair, letting her fingernails ease across Jane's scalp slowly.

When Jane's crying subsided, she lifted her head from Maura. "I know what it's like to lose someone."

Maura waited patiently, knowing that Jane did not reveal things about her past openly. "You know that my father died in WWII."

Maura nodded, waiting for Jane to continue.

Jane clenched her eyes shut as a fresh round of tears began to well up. "I was close to him. Really close to him. I thought the man hung the moon and the stars. I took his death really hard."

She eased her head into her hands, unsure how to continue. She had never told anyone what happened. There was no need. Everyone who mattered already knew the story, they were there; she didn't have to tell it.

"He left and he told me that he would come back. He promised me that he would come back and he never did. Not in any way. They couldn't even find his body. My family didn't get a sense of closure."

Maura's grip on Jane's arm tightened. "I'm so sorry, Jane."

"I can't imagine the pain of losing a child, but I understand what you're feeling. I wanted you to know that. I didn't say much of anything last night to comfort you, but I want you to know that I'm here."

Tears began to form in Maura's eyes. It was so obvious that Jane meant every word that she said. A sob caught in her throat, but she forced it down.

"If you need to have a funeral for Will, we can do that. If it will help you, I will make that happen. I know what it's like to not have closure."

Maura's heart seemed to shatter into a million pieces. No one had ever offered to do something like that for her in her whole life. There were so many things that Maura wanted to say, so many things that seemed trapped inside of her. All that she could muster was a broken, "Oh, Jane. I would love that"

Jane somehow managed to get her voice to stop shaking. "I had one for my father. I wrote him a poem and buried a small box with one of his ties in it. It was like I was laying him to rest." Jane laughed, wiping at the tears with the back of her hand. "What's funny is that he didn't even like that tie. He hated it in fact. But my mom spent so much time picking it out and she loved it, so he always wore it. I don't know, it just felt like him." She shrugged her shoulders and began picking at a loose seam on her nightgown.

"Geez Maura, I'm really sorry. I don't know how it happened. I didn't mean to make this about me."

Maura shook her head fervently. "No, don't feel sorry. Please don't. I want to get to know you." She couldn't believe that even through all of Jane's obvious hurt she was still worried about her.

A sad smile played about Jane's features. "I guess I just wanted you to know that you weren't alone. My life hasn't been picture perfect, Father Knows Best material if you know what I mean."

Maura laughed and placed her hand in Jane's. "Thank you."

Jane glanced at their connection and nodded. They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying each others support, but Jane didn't want the weekend to turn into this. It couldn't be some huge blubbering mess. No, not this weekend. She pulled her hand from Maura's and smiled as brightly as she could.

"How about we skip breakfast and just start getting ready. I don't feel hungry anyways."

"That's fine with me. We can stop by the diner and eat an early lunch."

"Sounds great. I'll just run home and change and then we'll be on our way. Let me help you clean the rest of our attempted breakfast up first."

"No, it's just the eggs. Run home and I'll see you in about a half hour."

They nodded and stood still for a moment, almost as if they were unsure how to leave each other. Maura closed the gap, pulling Jane close.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Jane smiled, holding Maura as long as she could. "I'll be back," Jane said, turning to leave the kitchen.

"I'll be waiting," Maura called to her, causing both of their hearts to skip a beat.

_I hope this is ok. I hated to pick back up with another emotional chapter, but this is originally how I had it planned out. I wanted a lot of personal details to be revealed over the course of their weekend alone to bring them closer together. I hope you enjoyed it, and seriously, thanks for reading! You all are the best!_


	16. Past Lives

Chapter 16

"Past Lives"

Maura and Jane maneuvered through the crowd carefully. The sidewalks seemed to hold every member of every family within a five mile radius.

"Looks like everyone had the same idea," Jane scoffed.

"Easter shopping I would suspect. Did you know that…"

"You say that like I'll respond, 'why yes, I already knew that but thanks.'"

Maura smiled and rolled her eyes slightly. "There aren't many people who would put up with your abuse, Jane."

"Well I do know that shopping makes everyone crazy. Like having the perfect dress and shoes is going to make any difference at all," Jane scoffed.

"My mother-in-law has Evie's specially made every year. Her dress, shoes, socks, everything."

"That's fancy."

"I guess. I would much rather make hers."

"My Ma always makes Maggie's and makes a vest to match for Frankie and Richie. Last year it was yellow. They looked like chickens. It was ridiculous." Jane rolled her eyes with a small teasing smile.

"I think it's sweet. I bet their Easter pictures are always adorable."

Jane let out a loud laugh. "I'll have to show you last year's. Not a single kid looks happy, or comfortable for that matter. Richie's shoes were too "squeezy", Frankie's suit was too hot, and Maggie's dress was too poofy. I wanted to tell them to change but it would have broken Ma's heart. Ma follows them around all day taking pictures."

Maura smiled as she maneuvered around a baby carriage imagining Angela snapping pictures of her sullen grandchildren with a huge smile on her face, her love and adoration for them masking their unhappiness. She loved how wonderfully affectionate the Rizzoli family was towards one another. Maura had never experienced such affection from her parents. Her mother had never once looked at her with the adoration that Angela bestowed upon Jane and her brothers.

"Is there anything that you wanted to look at specifically, Jane?" Maura tilted her head towards Jane with a smile.

"Not really. You?" Jane didn't want to say anything, but she didn't like shopping. In truth, she really just wanted to be with Maura.

Maura shook her head, her curls bouncing around her face, eliciting an unwarranted grin from Jane. "We can just browse."

They moved in and out of the small shops along the street, Maura studying various items and spouting off facts pertaining to their use or the company's advertising strategy. No matter how many objects were pointed in her direction throughout the countless stores, Jane never noticed one. The only thing she could see was Maura.

Maura studied the patrons and the prices, but Jane could only study her. She found herself enamored with every movement, every facial expression, every syllable. She told herself that she only wanted to learn more about Maura as a person, but by the last few stores Jane began studying the movement of her hips and the way her blouse curled open slowly if she reached for an object with her right arm. Shopping had never been more entertaining.

By the end of the night, Jane had learned that she was one of the most interesting and beautiful women she had ever met.

…

Normally guests stayed in the living room and talked, but somehow Jane and Maura ended up in the bedroom. They talked and laughed until they realized how late it had gotten. Jane glanced at the clock on the wall, knowing that she should probably head home. She looked back to Maura and realized that she didn't want to leave.

"I guess I'll run home now," Jane said, praying that Maura would ask her to stay.

"Oh." Maura looked down to the mattress and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "You could stay again if you wanted."

Jane smiled and said yes instantly. Maura beamed. "Good. I'll get you something of mine to change into so you won't have to go home this late."

Jane's heart fluttered as Maura moved to the dresser, removing two nightgowns. She handed Jane a soft blue one. "You can change in the restroom if you'd like."

"Kay. Thanks," Jane smiled.

She moved to the bathroom and stepped out of her clothes. She slipped into the nightgown and felt her body temperature rise. Maura wore this. Maura's body had been against this material.

She studied her face in the mirror, not truly understanding what was happening. She had never felt like this before. If this is what being close to another human being felt like, then Jane decided that it wasn't so bad after all.

Jane steadied her breathing and left the bathroom. Maura was standing with her back towards her. The gown just below her backside as it fell. Jane's breath hitched slightly as Maura freed her hair from the back. Jane moved beside the bed, still staring at Maura. _She's beautiful._

"Are you comfortable?"

"Uh, yeah." Jane nodded, her fingers absently playing with the lace trim. "I usually sleep in one of Richard's pajama tops to be honest. It's just more comfortable, but this is really nice. Soft."

Maura smiled and nodded. "You could wear one of Joseph's."

"No thanks. This is really swell." Jane imagined herself in one of Joseph's shirts and couldn't stomach the idea. It was too personal. She liked the idea of being so close to Maura. The nightgown was definitely not her thing, but it could definitely do for tonight.

Maura emerged from the bathroom with a clean face and a braid in her hair. "I'm glad you didn't want to wear Joseph's shirt, Jane. I like you in that."

"Thanks?" Jane laughed.

"No, I mean the color suits you. It's very becoming." Maura moved onto the bed and looked at Jane once more. No, she definitely didn't want Jane in Joseph's shirt. She couldn't stand the thought of rolling into Jane and smelling Joseph, feeling material that was so heavily connected to Joseph on her body. Jane was a different creature entirely. She made her feel things that she hadn't ever really felt. She was overwhelmed in the best of ways and didn't know how to explain it.

The two settled into bed, facing each other. The dim light of Maura's bedside lamp illuminated the room just enough to see each others faces.

"The kids seemed to be having fun," Maura yawned.

"They did. Maggie is having a blast. She told me Evie wouldn't go into the lake though."

Maura looked at her confused. "Evelyn didn't mention that."

"Yeah, Maggie said that she wouldn't swim in it because too many live things were in lake water."

Maura's face was a mixture of embarrassment and pride. She knew her daughter could be just like her at times. "Lake water does have thousands of microscopic organisms and many of which can be classified as pathogenic."

All Jane could do was laugh. "Your child is going to give mine a phobia."

"There's no fault in awareness," Maura countered playfully.

A strand of hair fell over Maura's eye. Jane instinctively pushed it away from her face, her fingertips lightly brushing against her skin stopping at her hair line. Jane noticed Maura's scar and remembered the night at the drive-in.

"You never told me about that," Jane's voice stayed low and calming. "You promised."

"Well, you didn't tell me about yours either. You pinky-promised. You go first."

"No. Because then you have no reason to tell me yours afterwards."

"Doesn't that work both ways?"

Jane stared at her for a moment and then sighed. "Mine isn't a big deal, Maur. Just tell me yours."

Maura narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. This was her first pinky promise ever and she was not going to let Jane ruin it with her possible dishonesty or avoidance.

"Fine, fine." Jane groaned and sat up. "I had a run-in with a guy at school. He cut me. It wasn't that big of a deal."

"He cut you?" Maura's voice rose and she sat up to face Jane.

"I didn't promise details. You know what happened. Now tell me about yours."

"Jane-I," Maura stumbled over her words slightly. "If I tell you all about mine, will you tell me about yours?"

"But Maura, it's really not a big deal. It's not worth knowing."

"Anything about you is worth knowing, or it is to me."

Maura's face looked so sincere and innocent. Jane knew that she was going to cave. She had never told anyone this story before. Not even Richard or her mother. Jane could feel her pulse quicken. She tried to calm herself down. _If anyone is going to know, I want it to be Maura._

"I'll tell you if you tell me."

Maura nodded, "I was about nineteen when it happened. My first semester of school I started dating Garrett Fairfield; my family was very close to his family. We had known each other our whole lives and our parents were elated when we began going steady. They actually told me that if he proposed that I _would_ marry him."

"His family was powerful and wealthy, right?" Jane couldn't keep the mocking tone from her voice.

Maura nodded. "And I didn't know this at the time, but his family had pushed him into dating me as well. They had based it purely off of looks, money, and the fact that I was somewhat educated. We dated the whole first semester and then he proposed over Christmas break. I accepted and we planned to be married in the summer."

"Did you want to marry him?"

"No, but my parents wanted me to. I was naïve enough to think that if I pleased them then they would let me finish college. At the time I even thought that they would let me go on to medical school if I could only give the Fairfield's a grandchild and be the perfect society woman simultaneously. I was wrong."

"Was Garrett ok with you going to school?"

"I thought that he was perfectly fine with it. I thought that he of all people would understand that it was just a part of me. But he didn't. I approached my parents about the topic first. They told me that it was up to Garrett, but I think they already knew the answer."

"That he didn't want you to go?"

"Yes. I approached him about attending college my sophomore year and he told me that he wouldn't allow it. We argued and he threw a book at me. That's how I got the scar."

"He threw a book at you?" Jane could almost feel her blood boiling. "What did your parents say?"

"That they were disappointed that it didn't work out and that I would continue going to school until I found someone else." Maura looked down at the blanket, twisting it in her hands. She left out the part where her parents argued with her that she should watch her temper.

"I can't believe he hit you."

"I couldn't either. But the more I thought about it the more sense it made. He was never very good at holding his temper. Exceedingly charming when he wanted to be though."

"I'm just glad that you didn't marry him."

"Me too." Maura paused, studying Jane's face momentarily. "Then I would have never met you." Jane smiled, thankful that Maura had gotten to this point. Thankful that Maura was in her life now.

"When did you meet Joseph?"

"Sophomore year. He proposed towards the end of the second semester and convinced me to take the first semester off to prepare for the wedding. I assumed that I would be going back, but we never discussed it really."

"Why didn't you go back?"

"I got pregnant with Evie and my parents, and his for that matter, stepped in and were adamant that I drop out. I was expected to stay home and care for my family and be the perfect wife and societal figure. I'm not great with people, Jane. I was never good at charming everyone at parties and that has always disappointed both families."

Jane placed her hand on Maura's forearm. "I'm sorry all of that happened."

"Thanks."

They shared a smile, both knowing that if it hadn't happened, she wouldn't be right here with Maura.

"What about yours?"

Jane removed her hand and placed it underneath her head. "Mine happened in high school. My father died my junior year and a lot of the people in town helped us out. My Ma had to continue working full-time at the factory, Frankie always picked up odd jobs to help out until he was old enough to work at the hardware store down the street, and I washed and ironed clothes and babysat the neighbor's children whenever I could. We all kinda retreated into ourselves just to scrape by. I would have realized what was going on had we not been so busy and full of grief."

Maura knew that this was hard for Jane. She reached for Jane's hand that was resting against the pillow and laced their fingers together. Jane smiled faintly.

"There was a boy at the school who didn't really have that many friends. He was a loner. I remember him trying to talk to me sometimes after school but it seemed like every time that he did I was in a rush to get home and do chores or watch someone's kid. But one day he came up to me in the schoolyard as I was on my way home. He told me that Tommy had gotten sick and Frankie had sent for me."

"Would Frankie have ever sent him to get you?"

"He worked with Frankie, so it was possible. His dad owned the hardware store. But Tommy was really sick in bed that day and I knew that he would be alone for two hours in between me coming back from school and my Ma going to the factory. I thought that he had gotten worse or something. It made sense while I was panicking."

Maura nodded and scooted to the edge of her pillow to be closer to Jane.

"I jumped in his car with him and he started driving towards my house. But then he turned off on a small road before mine, one that I knew led to the woods."

"Oh, Jane."

"He—uh, took me out there and he…" Hot tears sprang to Jane's eyes as the memory resurfaced. She hadn't thought about this in years.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I had no idea."

"I've never told anyone before."

Maura nodded and clasped Jane's hand in both of hers.

"I fought back. I really tried to, but that's when he pulled the knife and cut me."

Maura sat up and put her arms around Jane. Jane sunk into her and tried to repress the memory once more.

"I'm so sorry Jane."

"I blamed myself for being so stupid, for going with him at all. But when he was finished with me he took me home and told me not to tell anyone and that if I hadn't ignored him that it would have never happened. I went inside and found a sprig of lavender sitting on my dresser with a note that said, "Don't forget me, Janie."

"He was in your house?"

Jane shook her head. "I don't know how he got in, but he did."

Something clicked in Maura's brain at that moment. "Is that the lavender in your jewelry box?"

Jane nodded once more. "I didn't realize that I still had it."  
"Did he ever do anything else to you?"

"Nothing. It was close to graduation and he was a senior. He went into the service and I'm not positive, but I think he was killed."

"Good." Maura felt angry at this man that she had never met. She had never experienced such hostility towards a complete stranger before.

"I'm ok now though. Please don't let this make things different between us, Maura."

"Never," Maura whispered against Jane's hair. She pulled her in closer and knew that it was the truth. Nothing could ever change the way she felt about Jane and she knew it.

_Ok, sorry that took so long to update but the first half of the break was crazy. But things should slow down now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading!_


	17. Back to Reality

Chapter 17

"Back to Reality"

Morning came too soon for Maura. She awoke with her head on Jane's chest, listening to the sound of her heartbeat gently in her ear. Her arm was draped casually across her lean abdomen and she could feel Jane's palm resting right above her hip. Maura noted the intimate position and reveled in how absolutely natural it felt. She wanted to drift back to sleep and stay here with Jane forever, but she knew that she couldn't. Joseph and Evie would be coming home within the next hour or so.

She pulled herself from the bed, finding it to be harder every morning as her due date approached and moved into the bathroom to get dressed. She didn't want to waste any of her alone time with Jane. It was no secret that their lives would snap back into routine once the children returned. She slipped into one of her simple around-the-house dresses, washed her face, and pulled her hair back in a rush, eager to get back to Jane.

When she emerged, she found Jane standing near the bookcase full of medical texts.

"Is this how you know so much?"

Maura nodded, crossing to the bed to strip the sheets. She couldn't explain it, but she didn't want Joseph lying where she and Jane had shared their intimate moment's only hours before.

"Have you read them all?"

"I've read close to all of them, yes."

Jane turned to help Maura. "I'm really impressed right now. I can't imagine teaching myself something like this."

Maura shrugged. "I enjoy it. It helps pass the time."

Jane laughed. "They sure didn't have a section like that in our 'Living in the Home' class."

"What do you mean?" Maura inquired as she shook the pillow case from her pillow.

"I mean, cookbooks were the only thing the women were ever reading when they were teaching us how to be 'proper housewives,'" Jane rolled her eyes. "I hated that class. Total Squaresville. And the teacher and I argued probably every day."

Maura laughed, "I could see you being a bit of a troublemaker in school." She removed the fitted sheet and moved to the closet to fetch a fresh set.

"I guess you coulda called me that. It made me want to blow my top that I had to take that stupid course for two years. And why? To learn the proper way to bake, and sew, and change a diaper, and set a table. I had bigger things to worry about than how many inches away from the edge of the table the plate should be."

Maura shook out the sheet and nodded, thinking of Jane's father's passing. "I could understand that."

"I bet you've never gotten in trouble your whole life."

A mischievous glint appeared in Maura's eyes. She was excited to be able to share her story of rebellion. "You're wrong. I did, once."

Jane opened her mouth in mock surprise. "Not you!"

Maura laughed as she slipped the corner over the mattress. "You don't even know what I did."

"Let me guess, you didn't turn in your homework once."

"Oh no, I would never have done that."

Jane laughed. "Of course not."

Maura gave her a look mock reproach. "Do you want to know or don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah, tell me." Jane smiled, working the last corner into place.

"I snuck out once."

"Out of where?"

"The boarding school. I snuck out to meet this guy I'd met."

"You snuck out to be with a boy? You've gotta be lying."

"If I was lying, I would be covered in hives," she said proudly.

"I don't believe it. Play a little backseat bingo?" Jane winked.

"Something like that," Maura laughed and placed the top sheet on the bed.

"How much trouble did you get into?"

"A bit, but no one was really expecting me to be the one to sneak out. They did call my parents though. They weren't thrilled to hear it."

"Gee wiz, Maur, you are some kind of rebel."

They laughed, finishing the bed. Maura walked to the kitchen while Jane put her dress on. She wasn't hungry and didn't know if Joseph or Evie would be when they got home so she just poured herself a glass of milk and sank into the kitchen chair. Her back was starting to hurt a little.

Jane sat down across from Maura at the kitchen table, not wanting to go, but she knew that she needed to. She hadn't done anything around the house all weekend and needed to attempt to make it look like she had cleaned.

"Did they say what time they would be getting home?"

Jane shook her head, "No, but I would assume it would be pretty early. Richard and the boys normally want to be home early on Sunday to shower and rest."

"I would want to be home if I had been out with four kids all weekend, too." Maura laughed, thinking of how crazy the weekend must have been for them.

"I can't say I won't be impressed if they all make it home with no incidents."

Maura nodded and took a small sip of her milk.

"Richard doesn't even know how to do laundry. It drives me crazy that he can survive out in the wilderness and cook for himself and the boys and then claim to be able to do nothing around the house." Jane sighed. "Oh well, I guess I should head home and get ready for them."

Maura smiled, neither truly wanting to move. Jane leaving would burst what they had created over the weekend. Like their own personal hideout from the world. But the clock said eight thirty and Jane knew that it wouldn't be much longer until they pulled up.

They both stood, awkwardly looking between each other and appliances in the kitchen.

"Well, I had a really great time, Maur. Thanks for letting me stay."

"I really enjoyed it. There's no need to thank me."

Jane walked to the front door. "We should try to do it again sometime."

"Definitely." Maura could feel her heart beating fast in her chest. She wrapped her arms around Jane and didn't really want to let go. _Why am I acting like this?_

Jane pulled away slowly and smiled. "I'll see you later."

Maura nodded, trying to steady her breathing. "Sure," she managed.

Jane stepped outside, waving to her as she stepped off of the porch.

As she crossed over into her yard, Frankie's car pulled into the driveway. She sighed slightly, knowing that she wouldn't be getting anything done now.

She waved to Frankie as he got out of the car. "Richard isn't here."

"Geez, does that mean I actually have to visit with you?" he countered playfully.

Jane smiled, "Oh, drop dead twice."

He shut the car door and moved to stand beside her. "No thanks, then I would look like you."

She punched him on the arm and laughed. "Haven't seen you in awhile. I was starting to think that you had fallen off the deep end or something."

"Nah, just busy with work and everything."

They both walked onto the porch and Jane unlocked the door. Frankie followed her inside. Jane could tell that he came to talk to her about something, she just didn't know why.

"Where are the little ankle-biters?"

"They went on a camping trip with Richard."

"Even Maggie?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," he followed Jane into the kitchen.

"You hungry?"

"Nah, I just stopped by to talk."

"I'm gonna put on some coffee."

"Ok," he shook his head and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. Jane could tell that something was bothering him.

After the coffee was on, Jane sat down. She noticed that it looked like Frankie hadn't shaved in a few days.

"Where's Anna?"

Frankie ran his hand across his unshaven face and stared at the table. "That's why I came to talk to you, Janie. We've been having some problems."

"Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry."

He shrugged, "We haven't been fightin' or nothing like that. We've been having problems in other ways."

Jane looked at him strangely. "Like how?"

"It's weird saying it to my sister, but we've been trying to get pregnant for awhile now."

"Ok," Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes or laugh at his modesty, after she had given birth to three children.

"We figured something must be wrong so we went to the doctor and we found out that we can't. Anna can't."

"Oh," Jane nodded. "I'm really sorry to hear that. I could understand how you two would be upset."

"That's just it, Jane. I'm not. I'm not upset at all. I work around kids that need good homes all the time. There are other ways to have a family. But Anna won't hear of it. She cried the whole way home and walked around the rest of the night looking like some kind of broken doll. I was trying to cheer her up, but the next thing I knew she was telling me that she was leaving."

"She left?" Jane asked surprised. She never expected Anna to leave.

"Yeah, she left and went to her mothers yesterday."

"Gosh Frankie, I'm so sorry."

"Me too. I don't know what to do. I want to give her some space but at the same time I don't want her to doubt how much I love her. I need her to know that it really doesn't bother me. Adopting would be fine."

"She'll come around, Frankie. She loves you. Give her time to process everything."

"So you think I should leave her alone for a little while?"

"Yeah, give her some space."

"But for how long?"

"I wish I could say." She smiled at him and patted his arm. "She'll come around though."

Frankie nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

Jane stood to pour them both a cup of coffee. "Does Ma know?"

"Of course not. And don't tell her. Promise me you won't tell her, Jane." His facial expression grew stern and Jane couldn't help but laugh.

"I won't, ok."

"Promise?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do the thing."

She set the cups down on the table. "I'm not gonna do the thing. It's childish. What are you, some kind of kook?"

"Do it."

She groaned, "Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye," she muttered quickly. "You happy?"

"Alright." He took a drink out of the coffee. "Thanks," he lifted the cup in the air slightly.

"No problem. You hungry?"

"No."

'What have you eaten since she left?"

"I'm offended. I can cook."

"Right I forgot, soup and sandwiches. What did you eat?"

"Fried bologna."

"That is not food."

"Yeah it is."

"I'm making you breakfast."

"Fine," he said exasperated.

Jane could tell that he was hungry, just stubborn.

She made him eggs and sausage. He ate it all pretty quickly, much to Jane's amusement. As he was eating the last few bites on the plate Jane heard the car pulling up. She stood up and walked out onto the porch. She saw Maura standing near the driveway. She smiled at her and walked across the yard to stand beside her.

Joseph and Richard opened the doors, both looking exhausted, and Jane could tell that Richard was agitated. Joseph opened the back door and let the kids start piling out of the car. Evelyn, Richie and Maggie both ran straight to Maura and Jane, while Frankie helped unload the car.

Maggie and Richie jumped into Jane's arms. She scooped them up and held them tight, both chattering about how much fun they had.

"Mommy!" Evelyn barreled towards her.

"Be careful," Joseph called to her. Evie slowed down a touch and threw her arms around Maura's neck.

"I missed you so much, sweetheart," Maura said in between kisses.

"Did the house seem silent without me?" she smiled, her dimples showing and melting Maura's heart.

"It was. Did you have fun?"

"So much fun! Evie and I were very brave."

"I knew you would be."

"I would like to take a bath though."

Maura laughed, "I think we can handle that."

"I want a bath too, Mommy!" Maggie said.

"I think we all do," Joseph said walking towards them with an armload of suitcases. He leaned in to kiss Maura and she turned him her cheek. He was caught off-guard.

"I'll second that," Richard said, walking straight to the house, his voice gruff and clipped.

"I guess we'll get details later," Jane said.

Both women exchanged a smile, their eyes lingering on each other a little too long. Maura flashed a final parting smile and turned to the house. Jane watched her for a moment, and then turned to the house herself. She hugged Richie in her arms tight and nuzzled her head in his neck, making him laugh. "I missed you, buddy."

"I missed you, too. Frankie said that big boys didn't miss their mommy's though."

"Well your brother's wrong. You're never too old to miss your mommy."

"I thought so," he said wrapping his arms around her and smiling.

"Let's go get you some good food and a bath. You're kinda smelly."

"That's because I'm a man," he said, trying to make his voice deeper.

"Oh, you're a man now?"

He nodded and Jane pinched his side lightly. "I guess you don't need your toys anymore, huh?"

"Uh…well, maybe I was wrong."

"That's what I thought," Jane laughed as she edged into the door, closing it behind her.

"Mommy, I want a bath," Maggie whined.

Jane set Richie down, realizing how peaceful her weekend had been.

"Alright, go to your bathroom. I'll run you some water. I'll put Richie in mine."

Both children nodded and ran off down the hall. Jane walked into the kitchen to find Frankie sitting at the table next to her brother with a bowl of cereal. She kissed him on the forehead. "Too old to hug me now?"

He shrugged and shoveled a big mouthful into his mouth.

Frankie ruffled his nephew's hair. "C'mon Little Man, don't tell me you're getting full of yourself. You're never too old to hug your mother."

"I'm not little," he grumbled.

"I know, but that's always been my nickname for you. And it's easier since you're mother gave us the same name," he shot a playful look at Jane.

"That was the plan. I wanted everything to be confusing."

"Well you succeeded," he laughed. "I guess I'm gonna head out and let everybody get settled. Thanks for everything."

Jane nodded and gave him a "hang in there" pat.

He made it a point to give Frankie a big hug and then walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm gonna give your brother and sister a bath. I'll be out in a second, ok?"

Frankie shrugged again, never removing his eyes from the cereal. She couldn't tell if he was upset or just feeling a little angsty.

Jane ran both of the children's water and then went into the bedroom. Richard was sitting in his chair with the Sunday paper. Jane rolled her eyes.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," he said, turning to another page.

Jane sat there for a moment, neither spoke. She didn't know what his problem was either, so she just left the room. She walked back out into the kitchen and looked over into Maura's yard. She loved her family, but nothing could compare to their weekend and she knew it. She allowed herself only a few more moments before she turned back towards her bathroom to get Richie. "Back to reality," she muttered to herself.

_Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it!_


	18. Beginning of a New Beginning

Chapter 18

"Beginning of a New Beginning"

Maura began bathing Evelyn while Joseph unpacked the bags and sorted through the laundry. She didn't realize how much she had missed her little girl until she was before her. They played a game, using the shampoo to hold her hair in crazy hairstyles. She sculpted it into a rod shape on top of her head, standing straight into the air.

"Ok, don't move, Evie. This is the best one. I'm going to get the mirror."

Evie giggled, "Ok."

Maura moved into her bathroom and retrieved the small handheld mirror she used to fix the back of her hair. She returned to the bathroom to find Evelyn clutching the side of the bathtub in an effort to still herself. Maura flipped the mirror around to her and Evie began to cackle with laughter.

"You like it?" Maura beamed.

"It's silly."

"I think it would be beautiful for school. What do you think?"

Evie shook her head vigorously, the shampoo tower falling in front of her face. She dropped her facial features into a dramatic frown.

"No thanks," she muttered playfully.

"Let's rinse the shampoo out."

The little girls leaned her head back and Maura used the small cup to pour water over her hair. She felt a small twinge in her back and tried to twist her body to relieve the pain. "Ok, Daddy's going to come get you out of the bathtub, ok?"

Evie nodded and lay down in the water.

"Be careful."

"I will."

Maura walked into the kitchen and found Joseph removing a skillet from underneath the cabinet. "She's ready to get out of the tub. Would you mind drying her off for me?"

"Not at all." He placed the skillet on the counter and turned to look at her. She could feel him studying her features intensely. She tried her best to relax her facial muscles and appear at ease, but he saw through it.

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Fine," her response came out a little more clipped than she had intended it to be.

It caught him off-guard once more. "I'll be right back."

"Ok. What were you making?"

"Tuna melt. Do you want one?"

"Sure. I'll start on them."

He nodded and left the kitchen. Maura placed her hands on the counter and sighed. The pain in her back didn't seem to be getting any better. .Evie's delighted squeals from down the hall made her feel a little better as she moved to get out the bread and cheese.

The food was almost ready when Evie ran into the kitchen in one of her cotton dresses with the yellow buttons down the front.

"She has more energy than I do," Joseph laughed. "Camping was anything but easy."

"It was tiring," Evie remarked as she settled into her chair.

Maura smiled as she placed the sandwiches on a plate and brought them to the table.

"Did you enjoy it?"

Evie's eyes grew wide as Maura placed the sandwich on the table. She began eating as soon as the toasted sandwich touched her plate. "Yes," she replied through a mouthful.

"We had a good time," remarked Joseph before taking his first bite. "Tell her what you did, baby doll."

She swallowed the first mouthful, eyes wide with excitement. "I learned how to swim all by myself!"

Maura gasped, "Did you really?"

Her tiny head bobbed up and down quickly as she chewed her second mouthful.

"Who taught you how to swim?"

"Daddy and Maggie," she said before taking a large drink of milk.

Maura cast her glance towards Joseph, who only shrugged in response. "I didn't think she would even get in the lake but Maggie convinced her. Then she saw Maggie swimming by herself and wanted to learn."

"Are you proud of me, Mommy?"

"I am, darling. I bet you swim very well. I wish I could have seen you." The thought of her tiny daughter swimming about in the dark depths of the lake water made her cringe.

"You better slow down on the sandwich or you might get a bellyache," Joseph warned.

"I'm just so hungry."

"What did you eat on the trip?" Maura inquired.

"A lot of beans and hot dogs."

Evie wrinkled her nose. "It was only good the first night."

"I'll agree with that," Joseph smiled patting Evie's arm lovingly.

They ate their meal, Evie chattering about all of the things that she was allowed to do while camping, most making Maura cringe. After they ate, Joseph volunteered to clean up the kitchen, and Maura didn't protest. She sank into the living room couch, Evie settling in next to her.

"I missed you, Mommy."

"I missed you, too."

Maura wrapped her arm around Evelyn and placed a light kiss on the crown of her head.

"Will you read me a story?"

"If you'll go get it off your bookshelf, I will."

"Ok!" Evie exclaimed, running to her room.

Maura leaned her head against the back of the couch, not even feeling well enough to scold her. All of a sudden she felt so tired.

Evie ran back into the room, book tucked underneath her arm, her golden curls bouncing around her shoulders, and eyes wide and eager to read. Maura realized how much her daughter resembled her in that moment.

"What did you pick out?"

"A Little Princess," Evie beamed.

"Alright, climb up here with me. Where did we stop reading this one?"

"You marked the page, remember?" Her tiny hands pulled the book from Maura's grasp and flipped to the page that had been marked.

Maura began reading at the top of the page and felt Evie settle into her side fully. Her heart seemed ready to burst. She adored that Evelyn loved to read as much as she did.

They read fifty pages and Maura closed the book. She was beginning to get tired and really wanted a nap. She could tell that Evie was tired too.

"Want to go lay down with me?"

The little girl nodded slowly against her. The pair moved into Maura's room. Evelyn scooted as close as she could and relaxed against her. Maura rubbed her thumb across her tiny arm lightly.

"Mommy."

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Maura smiled and leaned forward to kiss the back of her head. "I love you too."

Evie curled her hands underneath her face and they were both asleep in only a few minutes.

…

Maura woke up a few hours later. She opened her eyes, noticing that Evelyn was gone.

She pulled herself out of bed, even though she really wanted to go back to sleep more than anything. The house was silent, which was odd. She looked outside and saw Joseph on the porch reading a book while Maggie and Evie played on the play set.

She watched as the two girls ran, laughing and spinning around. She wondered what Jane was doing at the moment as she walked into the kitchen. She wished that Jane was here, that their weekend never had to end.

Maura's back began to ache again and her head started to hurt. She hoped she wasn't getting sick. She walked outside to sit with Joseph and watch the girls play instead of going back to sleep.

"Sleeping beauty is awake!" Joseph cried out as she emerged from the house. She rolled her eyes at him and smiled. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I just feel really tired today."

"You'd think you'd be rested after having the whole weekend to yourself."

"One would think. One would also think that you would crash when you got home, but look at you."

He laughed, "Good point. Jane said that Richard was passed out in the bedroom."

"When did you talk to Jane?"

"She was over about half an hour ago. She was asking if it was ok for Maggie to come play with Evie."

Maura nodded, retreating into her own thoughts and blocking Joseph out momentarily. She couldn't help but feel disappointed that she had missed her. _Maybe she'll come over to get Maggie soon._

"Did you have a good weekend?" Joseph asked, Maura could tell that this wasn't the first time that he had asked.

"Very good. The silence was strange, but nice nonetheless."

"Good." Joseph studied her face a little longer. "Are you sure you're feeling, ok?'

"Yes, my head and back are hurting a little, but other than that I'm fine."

"You don't think you could be going into labor do you?" Joseph leaned closer to her, anxiety obviously coursing through his every fiber.

"No." He immediately settled into his seat. "I don't think so."

She noticed his body went rigid once more and she couldn't help but laugh. "I'm joking. I'm just a little sore. There's still a couple more weeks left until I'm due. I was tired like this at the end of the pregnancy with Evie."

Joseph nodded as the memory returned to him. He remembered how nervous he was as he anticipated the birth of his first child and how beautiful he thought Maura was throughout the duration of the pregnancy. Even right after she was born and Maura was still a little out of it from the drugs and drenched in sweat from the delivery, he knew she could never be more beautiful to him than in that moment. But he had said that often about Maura. He always told himself that she could never be more beautiful, but then something else would happen and he would find that memory to be replaced with a new, more beautiful image of Maura.

He remembered thinking it the first time he met her at the university with her sweater draped around her shoulders and her arms full of books, or the first time he kissed her and she smiled and said that she would like to see him again, or as he watched her walk down the aisle to him on their wedding day, or the moment she found out that they were pregnant with Evelyn and she cried, or now in this moment as she watched their daughter run through their yard.

Maura caught him staring at her. "Joseph, I'm fine."

"I know," he said simply and returned to his book.

Maura watched as Maggie showed Evie how to swing "super high." Her stomach clenched as both girls pumped their legs back and forth. Maggie was definitely more reckless than Evie, but it seemed to rubbing off on her tiny daughter.

"Girls, be careful," she called out to them.

They nodded, but didn't stop swinging. Joseph looked up from his book. "Not so high. You'll tip the swing-set."

They both slowed down considerably, Maggie obviously done swinging with the new restrictions in place. _She is so much like Jane_.

Maura watched as she ran, tight, brown curls winding themselves together as she climbed up the ladder. The sound of a door across the yard caught Maura's attention, and she saw Jane sauntering towards her. Her heart seemed to leap into her throat.

She waved and smiled at her. "You feeling ok?"

Maura nodded. "I'm fine, only a little tired."

"It's weird having the kid's home now. I got kinda used to doing what I wanted all weekend."

"I agree. They definitely change things." Maura looked out into the yard and noticed that Maggie had somehow managed to climb out onto the pole near the swings and was hanging from it.

"C'mon now, Maggie. You know you're not a monkey. Get down from there," Jane yelled after her.

"She isn't afraid of anything."

"Tell me about it. She is always trying to prove herself to the boys."

"I think it's good for them," Joseph interjected. "Maggie is making Evelyn more adventurous and Evelyn is allowing Maggie to channel her softer side."

"That makes sense," Jane nodded.

"I think so, too. Maggie convinced Evie to not only get into the lake, but learn to swim on her own."

"Go figure," Jane smiled, clearly proud of her little girl.

"Joseph said that Richard is sleeping."

Jane shook her head, "Yep. He took a shower after the kids bathed and has been out ever since. It'll be fun for him trying to wake up early tomorrow."

They watched the girls run around for a few more minutes before they decided it was time to eat dinner and get ready for bed. The pair weren't thrilled with the idea of being separated, but both listened.

"They act like they haven't seen each other in months," Joseph laughed.

"I know." Maura moved into the house. "I'm glad she has a friend though. I didn't have anything like that."

He smiled knowingly and walked to the kitchen. "I'll make something quick for dinner. Then we can all get washed up and in bed quickly."

Maura nodded, "Thank you."

He smiled and kissed her foreahed. "Go rest. I'll come get you both when it's ready."

Maura nodded and went to lie down on the couch. It wasn't something that she normally did, but she knew that she wouldn't get out of bed if she laid down now. Her back was aching more persistently now and she couldn't seem to get comfortable. It felt like years had passed when Joseph called them to eat.

It was obvious that they were all very sleepy. They ate in relative silence. After dinner, Joseph told Maura to just go to bed. She couldn't protest. She kissed Evie goodnight and moved into the bedroom.

After getting ready for bed, she sank down onto the mattress and turned to where Jane had rested only hours before. Her hand ghosted over the empty space and smiled. She couldn't help but wish that she were here with her as she was pulled into a restless slumber.

…

Maura's eyes opened slowly. She still felt groggy and her head hurt. A pain started in the middle of her back and made its way around to her middle. Her eyes grew wide. She wondered if she was awake or dreaming. This was so often how her nightmares about Will's birth began.

She clasped her hands around her stomach until the pain subsided. The small light in the bathroom was on, and Maura stood and followed it. Once inside, she closed the door and eased her body against the wall. She had to remain calm. "Maybe I'm not in labor," she whispered to herself.

She closed her eyes and counted to ten, feeling calmer than before. "I'm going to be fine."

Nothing seemed to make the little fear in the back of her mind go away though. She hadn't allowed her thoughts to drift to the fear of losing this child, but she couldn't ignore it anymore. As much as she wanted to think that she wasn't in labor, a large portion of her knew that she was wrong. She splashed cold water on her face and patted her face with a towel. She attempted to take deep, calming breaths, but each one threatened to turn into a sob. Her hands were shaking slightly and she knew that she needed to calm down.

Another pain hit her, a little harder than before. There was no denying the labor. She remembered the way this had felt with her last two deliveries. "The baby's coming."

Once the pain dissipated she walked to Evelyn's room. She hadn't packed her anything to wear while she and Joseph were away at the hospital. Maura froze. They hadn't even talked about where Evie would stay. Her hand flew to her forehead. She immediately thought about Jane. "Of course, Jane will probably keep her for me."

Maura moved about her room as silently as possible. Once all of her items were collected she placed the bag in the hallway. She knew that hers was half-packed in the closet. She zipped her bag and allowed one tear to fall. It took a moment to pull herself together. She wiped her face off and crossed the room to the bed. She shook Joseph and he woke up quickly.

"What, Maura what is it? Is everything ok?"

She nodded and placed her hand on his arm. "I'm pretty sure I'm in labor."

He sat up quickly. "Ok, we need to get to the hospital. Did you finish packing up your bag? Let me get dressed. Should we wake Evie up?"

Maura watched as her normally calm husband turned into a crazed mess. "Yes my bag and Evie's bag are packed. I'm ready to leave whenever you are. I'm going to go talk to her right now."

"Where is she going to stay?" he asked rolling out of the bed quickly.

"I'm sure she can stay with the Reed's. I'll call them while you're getting ready."

"Ok," he said, barreling into the bathroom

She dialed as fast as the rotary would spin, getting Jane on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" Jane's voice was husky and sounded similar to the night Maura had the nightmare, laced with sleep and appropriate amounts of anxiety and fear.

"Jane, I'm so sorry to call so late. It's Maura."

"Hey Maur, what's happening?"

"I'm in labor and need to get to the hospital. Would you mind keeping Evie for me and Joseph? I'm so sorry about this, but we just didn't think any of this through and-"

"Don't apologize, Maura. She's always welcome here. Bring her over. I'll be up."

"Thank you so much. We'll be right over."

They hung up and Maura walked into Evelyn's room. A pain rocketed through her center; she knelt beside Evie's bed and placed her head on the mattress. _That was the worst one, yet._

She ran her hand up and down Evie's arm gently. "Evie," she crooned softly, not wanting to scare her. "Evie, wake-up."

She groaned and let her eyes flutter open. "What is it?"

"The baby is coming and Mommy needs to go to the hospital. You're going to go stay with Maggie until we bring the baby home, is that ok?"

She nodded and rolled over. Maura laughed softly and placed a light kiss upon her temple. There was no way to know if she understood her, but it was happening just the same.

Joseph walked in and scooped the little girl into his arms tenderly. He rested her head on his shoulder and carried her with one arm, the other carrying the bags. "Let's go," he half-whispered. She knew he was too worried to keep his voice down.

Maura put on her shoes and locked the door behind her. _We'll be a family of four when we return._ Her heart ached for a moment at the thought. She could remember a similar moment when the same thought crossed her mind.

They crossed the yard and knocked lightly when they reached the door. Jane opened the door in her robe, clearly trying to appear more awake than she was.

"Where do you want me to put her?"

"In Maggie's bed if you don't mind. Down the hall and it's the third door on the left."

Joseph nodded and moved in that direction. Jane's gaze fell upon Maura and she smiled softly.

"It's going to be ok, you know."

Maura looked down at the floor to hide the tears that were threatening to spill. "I know," she croaked. "I'm just so afraid."

Jane nodded and took her into her arms. "You will both be fine." Jane kissed the top of her head and then allowed her lips to kiss a path down to her cheek.

Maura wrapped her arms around Jane. She had never felt safer than in this moment.

Joseph emerged from the bedroom, Maura's bag on his arm. The two women broke their embrace and Jane wiped a stray tear from Maura's cheek.

"Catch you on the flip side," Jane winked.

Maura laughed and hugged her once more. "Thank you for keeping her."

"No problem at all. You don't worry about anything but you and the baby."

Joseph nodded in agreement and took Maura's elbow. "I left her bag in the corner."

"Ok. We'll be fine."

"If you need to, we could get my parents to keep her. I know four kids must be tough," Joseph called to her as they moved across the yard.

"No, we'll be fine. Call me when the baby is born."

"Ok."

Maura managed one last smile and a wave before Joseph ushered her into the car. She wished that he wasn't so panicky right now. She felt like that should be her job.

Joseph turned on the car and they began to back out of the driveway. She kicked off her shoes, just as Jane had the first time she rode with her. She smiled as she leaned her head back against the seat. "We will be ok," she mentally chanted the whole way to the hospital.

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the last chapter! I've been writing like crazy over the past few days because school is starting back at the end of this week and I wanted to get as much done as I could. Trust me when I say that I can't wait for them to get together just as much as you can't!_

_But just a short note, the Living in the Home class I mentioned last chapter was actually a real course that girls had to take in high school. My grandma told me about it over the weekend and I was super stoked that I found a way to work it in. _

_They had whole lessons on how to keep their husband happy. For example, have dinner ready or close to being ready by the time he arrives, have the children clean and try to keep them quiet when he gets home, make him a drink and ask him how his day went. They were also taught that the whole kitchen should be clean by the time you and your family sat down to eat. These were lessons! No wonder women struggled. They believed they had to be the picture of perfection._

_I listened to my grandma intently and marveled at how society used to prepare women for their futures and used that time to prepare them only to be housewives when they could have pushed them to be so much more. I understand that there were women who became other things, but traditionally women were made to believe that they were meant to stay home and take care of their families. I don't know, I'm just really glad that society has changed. _

_I am not in any way knocking housewives though. There is nothing wrong with being a housewife and I believe that wholeheartedly. I believe that women should know that they have the choice to get married and have children and not have careers. That's totally fine as long as it's her choice. _

_My grandma is one of the most amazing people I will ever know and she hasn't really ever worked; she has always been the traditional picture of a housewife and loves it. She is the only person out of all eight of her brothers and sisters to graduate from high school and she has been married to my grandpa for almost fifty years. She chose to be a housewife and feels content with her choice even after all these years. I respect that wholeheartedly._

_My goal was has never been about casting judgment upon women, or anyone for that matter. It has always been about trying to demonstrate how society and tradition and pressure from their families pushed women into their roles and how important equality is in modern society. I hope I'm doing an ok job at it. _

_That wasn't so short, I guess. Sorry about that. Anyways, thanks for the lovely reviews and sticking with me this far. I really do love hearing from all of you. I never expected to find so many amazing people through this story, but I have. You truly are all the loveliest people I have ever met. Thank you for existing. :)_


	19. Special Delivery

Chapter 19

"Special Delivery"

Morning came too soon for Jane. She hadn't truly slept since Maura had woken her up with the phone call. All she could think about was the ways that everything could go wrong. And now here it was, six o'clock and she couldn't even move. Richard was already out of bed, but she didn't remember him getting up. _He probably never went to sleep—serves him right sleeping all day._

Jane quickly got dressed, knowing that she would have to get four children ready for school instead of three. She walked into Maggie's room. Evie was curled into a ball and Maggie was flopped on her stomach, limbs splayed across the bed. Jane didn't know who she should wake up first. Probably Maggie. That way she could talk to Evelyn if she was upset about not being home.

Jane lightly shook her daughter. Her eyes opened and she turned her head into the pillow. "Maggie, you have to be quiet. Evie's here."

Maggie sat up, unusual for her to wake up so fast. "Why is she here?"

"Her mommy is having the baby."

"Oh. How long will she be with us?"

"Probably a few days. Start getting dressed while I wake her up, ok?"

Maggie groaned and nodded.

Jane moved to the other side of the bed and sank down onto it slowly. She began to rub Evie's back. "Evie."

She opened her eyes at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. "Mrs. Reed? Why am I in Maggie's room?"

"Your mommy is having the baby. You're going to stay with us until your brother or sister can come home."

"Ok," Evie nodded.

"Easier than I thought," Jane muttered. "Well, can you both manage getting dressed while I wake up the boys?"

Both tiny heads bobbed in unison. "I'll fix your hair when I'm finished."

Jane moved down the hallway and entered the boy's room. Frankie was already awake in his bed. She began getting their clothes from the closet.

"You're up early, or did you sleep at all last night?"

"I woke up a little while ago and couldn't go back to sleep," he said, his voice deadpan.

She turned to face him. "Try not to sound too excited. You might hurt yourself."

He said nothing. Jane looked at him confused, but decided not to pry.

"I picked this out for you today. Do you think it's alright?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged his shoulders. Jane looked over at Richie, sleeping soundly in his bed. She knew that this would be the only moment she got to talk to Frankie about whatever was wrong with him.

"Well, you know, the red bow tie might make the button-up look better."

"I'll get beat up for wearing a red bow tie, Ma."

"Better not then," she smiled. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Frankie shrugged again.

"Did something happen on the trip?" She hated that she was prying, but he was clearly upset.

"I don't know."

"Alright. Well you can talk to me if you want."

Frankie nodded his head and kicked the covers off. She assumed that he wasn't going to talk to her, so she sat down on Richie's bed to wake him.

"Dad got mad at me yesterday."

Jane looked at him, his voice causing her to re-focus her attention. "About what?"

"I was talking while he was on the phone."

"Oh."

"He told me to stay by the car, but I wanted to tell him something and he got really mad."

Jane nodded, not entirely sure why this was upsetting Frankie so much. Richard had been mad at him plenty of times. "I'm sure he's not mad at you anymore."

He shrugged again and gathered his clothes, heading towards the bathroom. Jane sighed, not sure what the chat accomplished, and began to wake Richie.

After all four children were ready she began to make a quick breakfast. Jane looked out the window into the driveway and noticed that the car was gone from its usual spot. _He left already. _Jane had no idea where Richard was this morning, but to be honest, she really didn't care. She assumed he had already gone to work and didn't waste any more energy on it.

The children ate, all chattering about the camping trip and the spring play at school and the new baby. Jane talked with them, asking if they wanted to be in the play and what they were learning in school, but mostly her mind stayed on Maura. She prayed that everything would be ok and that they would be able to bring home their new healthy baby. She wished she had asked Joseph to keep her updated. Now she would be a nervous wreck all day.

Once they finished their breakfast, it was almost time to leave. Jane hugged them all, Evie last. She knelt down and took both of her hands.

"Your mommy's going to be ok, and when you get out of school today, you'll be a big sister. I'll take you to see them as soon as they can have visitors, ok?"

Evie nodded. "Thank you."

Jane smiled and then ushered the children out the door. She watched them walk to school with the other children from the neighborhood until she couldn't see them anymore.

She busied herself with housework all day, keeping her mind from worrying about Maura.

The phone rang at about two o'clock. Jane couldn't help but run through the house at the sound of every ring.

"Hello."

"Hey Jane, it's Joseph. I was just calling to let you know that they are both fine."

"Oh, I'm so glad. Can I bring Evie up there?"

"They said that would be ok as long as you don't mind driving her up here."

"Of course I don't mind. I'll bring her up there as soon as Richard gets home."

"Alright, we'll see you then. Thanks Jane."

"No problem."

They both hung up the phone and Jane began hurrying around the kitchen. She assumed that Richard would sit with the children while she drove Evie to the hospital. That would mean that they would need dinner, something Richard never threw together. She quickly began preparing a casserole that he could simply put into the oven and serve. Once it was finished she placed the casserole in the refrigerator and made an instruction card and placed it on the counter.

She realized afterwards that she didn't even know if he would be home on time and decided to call and find out.

The phone rang twice before a familiar voice came over the line. It was Cheryl Anderson from down the street. She rarely ever called Richard's work, so she had no idea that she even worked there.

"Hi, it's Jane Reed. Is my husband around?"

"Yes ma'm. I'll connect you."

The phone rang once more before Richard's voice came over the line. "Hello."

"Hey, sorry to call you at work, but I just wanted to know when you would be home. The Thomas' baby was born this afternoon and I'm going to drive Evelyn to the hospital. I was wondering if you could watch the kids."

"Well, I'm going to be working a little over today. We had a bit of a mishap and I'll need to stick around and make sure that it's cleaned up. I probably won't be home for awhile."

"Alright. I'll see if Ma will come over and watch them."

"Sounds like a plan. See you later."

"Ok, bye," she said, wondering why he was being so short with her. Maybe it was because he was busy and he was annoyed that he had to take her phone call. _He can get over it._

She hung up and immediately began dialing her mother. She hated to call her, but visiting hours would most likely be over once Richard got home.

Her mother's voice came over the line shortly.

"Hey Ma, I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Not even a how are you, Janie? Really?"

"Really, Ma?"

"What do you need?"

Jane could hear the laughter in her mother's voice. "I was going to ask if you would come sit with the kids for a little while tonight. Evelyn is staying with us because Maura went into labor last night. She had the baby this afternoon and I want to drive her to the hospital. And Richard is working late."

"Did she have a boy or a girl?"

Jane stopped for a minute, "I forgot to ask." _I just wanted to know that they were ok._

"You're as bad as your brothers. Of course I'll come over. I'll leave in fifteen minutes."

"Thanks. And do you mind if I borrow your car?"

"I haven't heard from you hardly at all this week but you call to babysit and borrow my car. It's like a teenage Jane is on the other end of this phone."

"Fine, I'll walk. See you in twenty." Jane hung up the phone and went to her room to change. Angela arrived around the same time as the children. She scooped each one up into her arms for a hug before they entered the house.

"Why are you here, Grandma?" Richie asked innocently.

"You don't want me here?"

He laughed as she ruffled his hair. "No, I do want you here. I was just asking."

"Well, I believe that Mrs. Thomas had her baby today, so your mom asked me to sit with you three while she drove Evie to the hospital."

Jane walked out of the kitchen and noticed the blanched look on Evie's face. She didn't comment. "Hey Ma." They both hugged. "Thanks for coming over."

"No trouble." Angela smiled as she handed Jane the keys.

"I have a casserole in the fridge. Just pop it in for them. We should be home soon."

She hugged all three children goodbye. "Are you ready Evie?"

The little girl nodded absently and walked out the door with Jane. They both climbed into the car and began the drive to the hospital.

She looked over and noticed that Evelyn's head was down and she was being very quiet.

"Everything ok?"

She nodded, her curls bouncing.

"Are you excited about the baby?"

She nodded once more.

"I am too."

Jane let the silence taper back, not wanting to make her talk if she didn't want to.

"Are you sure that the baby is ok?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Your daddy said that the baby and your mommy were fine."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

Jane could kick herself for not asking. "It's gonna be a surprise."

"This isn't the first time I was a big sister."

Jane felt her body tense. She looked across the front seat at the tiny child and wanted to hold her.

"I remember my mommy had another baby when I was little."

Jane nodded, not sure what to say. Evelyn would have only been two years old. She couldn't believe that she remembered.

"Something happened to him. Mommy cried a lot."

"Well this baby is ok. And you're going to make a great big sister."

Evelyn smiled and nodded. "I think so."

Jane pulled into the hospital and parked the car. "Let's go in," she smiled at her.

They held hands as they walked across the parking lot and into the hospital. They walked to the front desk and found Maura's room number.

They knocked on the door softly and Joseph let them in. Jane's eyes immediately searched the room for Maura's. She smiled at her and noticed that she looked tired, but well. Jane felt relieved to see it. She had been so worried about her after learning of the previous incident.

"Hi, Mommy." Evie said timidly. She hung back against Jane, unsure of how to react.

"Hi, sweetheart. Want to see the baby?" Maura's voice was soft and sweet.

Evie nodded and walked slowly over to the bed. She stood on her tiptoes and tried not to touch Maura.

Joseph laughed and swung her up onto the bed. "They won't break."

She scooted closer to Maura and leaned over to see the baby's face.

"This is your new baby sister, Amelia. Amelia Ruth Thomas."

Jane stood next to the bed. She was sleeping in Maura's arms. She was one of the most beautiful babies she had ever seen. She had the most perfect pink lips and head full of light colored hair. Evie was in awe.

"Can I touch her?"

Maura nodded and Evie put her hand on the blanket.

"What do you think?"

"She's little," Evelyn laughed. "Can I hold her?"

"Not yet," Joseph interrupted. "Come with me for a minute and then when we get back you can."

Evelyn nodded and Joseph carried her out with him.

"He thinks I don't know they are going to the gift shop," Maura laughed. "He wants Evie to pick out something special for the baby herself."

"That's sweet." Jane sat down on the edge of the bed. "She's really beautiful, Maura."

"Isn't she?" Maura pulled tucked the blanket around the baby's body and kissed her forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"A little sore and still a little hazy, but other than that I feel wonderful."

Jane put her hand on Maura's arm and squeezed it gently. "Good. When will you be able to take her home?"

"They want to keep us at least three more days. I don't know if Joseph said anything but she wasn't breathing when she was born." Maura noted the panic in Jane's eyes. "No, no, she's fine. Everything's fine. Basically she was in a state of shock when she was born. She couldn't catch her breath. It's an uncommon occurrence, but it does happen. They just want to monitor that before she goes home."

Jane nodded and placed her hand on top of Maura's. "That sounds scary. I'm glad everything's ok though."

Maura smiled at Jane's concern and leaned her head against Jane's shoulder. "Me too."

Jane sank into the comfort of Maura's body against her own and reached out to move the tiny pink hat resting atop Amelia's head. "Her hair is so light it doesn't even look like she has any."

Maura chuckled, "I know. Evelyn's looked exactly like that."

"My children came out with heads full of dark hair. Wild, crazy, unmanageable curls, just like mine."

"I think your curls are beautiful, Jane."

Jane laughed and shook her head. "You're about the only one."

Maura shifted to look at Jane more fully. "You're beautiful, my friend."

Jane rolled her eyes and was about to slip in a snarky comment as the door to the room opened. Evelyn ran inside first and the two separated slightly.

"Mommy, mommy! I have a surprise for you." Her face was full of excitement, unlike the scared little girl Jane had seen in the car.

"What is it?" Maura smiled, so happy to see that Evelyn wasn't upset about her new sister.

"Daddy! Bring it in here!"

Joseph entered, a trail of pastel colored balloons in tow and a tiny pink rattle in his hand. Maura looked delighted and laughed at the sight.

"This is what she wanted to get the baby."

Evelyn nodded dramatically. "Look at the rattle, Mommy!"

Joseph placed the rattle in her hands for further inspection. Maura noticed the intricate lace designs that were hand painted around the top and bottom with a tiny yellow duck on both sides.

"I love it so much, sweetheart. I know Amelia will too. You already know her so well."

"That's what big sisters do," Evelyn chirped, climbing onto the bed.

"It's like she's a different kid," Jane observed.

Maura smiled and kissed the top of her head. "You're the best big sister in the world."

"She's lucky to have you," Joseph chimed in.

The visit lasted half an hour before Jane noticed how tired Maura was beginning to look. Joseph and Evelyn left for a moment to get a cup of water for Maura, leaving them alone one last time before she carted Evelyn home so Maura and Joseph could rest.

"Thank you for bringing her, and keeping her for us."

"Maggie's over the moon. I think she wants her to move in."

Maura laughed, stopping after a moment. The past few days was beginning to take its toll. "No really, thank you. I've never had anyone do things like this for me. It means a lot."

Jane smiled. "You'd do the same for me."

Maura looked at Amelia and smiled. "If you ever decide to have a fourth…" her voice tapered off, both knowing that would never happen.

"Yeah right, and WWIII will start tomorrow."

"Don't say that," Maura looked alarmed.

"Just a joke," Jane shrugged. "I think we're gonna head back to my place now though. We'll come see you tomorrow. Do you need anything from home?"

"No, I think we're ok."

The pair stared at one another momentarily, smiling sweetly. Evelyn came back into the room and Jane broke the news. She gave Joseph, Maura, and Amelia a reluctant hug and stood by the door. On her way out, Jane turned to take one last look. One look at Maura's face and she couldn't help but want to stay. The last thing she wanted to do was leave Maura. She gave her one last wave and started off down the hall.

_Alright, one more chapter down. This one was surprisingly hard to write, but I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for all of the lovely reviews of the last chapter. It inspired me to write this one so quickly. You all are the greatest. Thanks again for the reviews, and follows, and favorites. I love that you all are still interested._

_Thanks for reading!_


	20. The New Car

Chapter 20

"The New Car"

Jane noticed that Richard still wasn't home when she and Evie pulled into the driveway, but she didn't allow herself to think about it. In truth, she couldn't seem to care. They got out of the car and Evie ran into the house ahead of Jane. She had been a ball of energy since she left the hospital, bouncing all over the front seat, humming to the radio, swinging her legs. All of the nervousness had left her tiny body and had been replaced with pure energy.

Jane stopped onto the porch and turned to look at the Thomas' house. They hadn't lived there long, but it was strange seeing the house engulfed in darkness. She knew that she would be glad when Maura returned and she could walk next door to see her. _How strange is it that I already miss her?_

Headlights pulling into the driveway caught her attention. She didn't recognize the car pulling. It parked and Jane was surprised to see Richard walking towards her.

"Who's car is that?"

She could see a large smile break out on his face. "I bought it."

"You bought a new car? That's what you were doing today?" Jane couldn't help but feel a little angry at him. She called her mother all the way over to watch the kids, well, it wasn't exactly far but it was the premise of the situation anyways.

"I did. I bought a new car." He was clearly proud of himself, his chest puffed forward and his hands resting in his pockets. "What do you think, doll?"

She rolled her eyes and turned to go into the house. "It doesn't matter what I think," she spat back at him.

A booming laugh echoed across the yard and seemed to settle into her body, vibrating her every nerve and causing her blood to boil.

"It _does_ matter what you think, Jane."

She spun on her heel and turned to face him. "I don't care what you drive to be quite honest, Richard." Her face remained stoic, but her voice was anything but calm.

"You already know what I drive."

"Yeah, this," Jane gestured to the new vehicle.

"No," Richard turned around as another car pulled into the driveway. Jane blinked trying to see around the bright headlights. "I drive that."

_That's his car._ Suddenly everything made sense. Her jaw dropped and Richard's smile only grew larger and more prideful.

"_You_ drive this." He gestured to the new vehicle. "That's why you're opinion matters."

"It's-it's mine?" Jane stammered. "We can't afford this."

Wilson Anderson climbed out of Richard's car and strolled towards them. He smiled as if he were somehow responsible for this whole set-up.

"Yes we can. Tell her why we can afford two cars now, Anderson."

Wilson looked like he was on cloud nine. It was obvious he loved getting attention from the boss. "Mr. Thomas received a promotion today."

Jane studied Richard's face, knowing it to be truth. All of his features seemed to be dancing with every happy emotion on Earth. "That's great, Rich. I'm so proud of you!"

She hugged him tightly, never taking her eyes off of her car. It wasn't brand new, but it was in wonderful shape.

"This is the first thing I wanted to do. The incident with Frankie's really had me thinking. I don't want you to be alone with the children and have no way to get help if there's an emergency."

Jane nodded, completely agreeing. It would be nice in the event of an emergency, but all she could see at the moment was freedom. Emergency's rarely happened, but her need for a vehicle was near-constant. No more asking permission to use the car or waiting around until he got off work to go into town to run errands. It was perfect.

"I love it," Jane beamed.

"I had a feeling you might." He watched as she began to inspect every element of the car. "Now don't make me regret this by going into town every day and spending every penny we've got," he boomed, clapping Wilson on the back. "Gotta watch the wives don't cha, Anderson?"

Wilson nodded, clearly agreeing only for the sake of agreeing. "Yes sir."

"Well thank you for all your help. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

The younger man nodded once more, almost as if he didn't know how to do anything else. "See you, sir."

He turned and headed towards his house at the end of the street. Richard laughed when he was out of earshot and walked beside Jane. "He kills me, that kid."

"Because he's such a brown-noser?"

"Something like that. Wanna take it for a test drive?"

"Of course." Richard pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them to Jane. She eagerly climbed inside and started the ignition. Richard slid into the passenger seat and closed the door.

They drove out of the neighborhood and began to circle the outskirts of the subdivision. "Good little car, isn't it?"

Jane nodded, focusing on getting the feel of the pedals. "Runs smooth."

"I saw it and knew that it was the perfect car for you and the kids."

"You have no idea how nice this is going to be. The summer is going to be wonderful."

"Take 'em on little trips. They'll enjoy that."

Jane smiled, turning on her blinker to turn onto the back road to the subdivision. _This is the first time we've really talked since he got back from the camping trip._

"Why don't you keep going straight? We could go up the hill like old times." He nudged her with his elbow and winked.

"No, we need to get home. We didn't even tell Ma that we were leaving."

"She'll be alright."

Jane turned in and Richard poked her side playfully. "Kill joy."

"That's me," she smiled.

They pulled into the driveway and Jane turned off the car, both sitting in silence. "Thanks, the car is really nice."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."

They both exited the car and went inside. Frankie sat in front of the television set while the other children sat at the kitchen table coloring.

"Where'd you go?" Angela asked as she cleaned the dinner dishes.

"You don't have to do that, Ma. I woulda got the dishes when I got home."

"Nonsense. I've done dishes my whole life."

Jane rolled her eyes and sank into a kitchen chair. Richard opened the fridge and began removing the leftover casserole. "Richard bought me a car," Jane smiled, waiting to see her mother's reaction. She knew she would be happy for her. Very few families had more than one car in the neighborhood.

"That's fantastic," she said, throwing her hands from the water to wipe them on the dishtowel.

"He got a promotion."

Richard was beaming as he began to fill his plate.

"I'm so proud of you!" Angela crossed over to him and hugged him tightly. "Look at you, being sneaky and staying late to get Jane a car. How sweet!"

"Sweet like sugar," he responded, taking a bite of the casserole.

"We have a new car?" Maggie chimed in.

"We do, baby. It's in the driveway."

All three children ran to the window to see. Jane stood up and moved to the front door. "We could go outside and look at it if you'd like." Three tiny heads bobbed up and down rapidly. She opened the door and they flew outside. "I guess they're excited," Jane laughed. She looked back at Frankie, still positioned in front of the television screen. "You want to see Frankie?"

Frankie shook his head, not even turning back to look. Richard came out of the kitchen.

"Frankie," his voice authoritative, "stop watching the idiot box and go look at the car."

The little boy turned, almost daring to give his father a look of reprieve or anger, but better judgment won out. He stood, shoulders slumped, feet trudging and walked outside.

"Moody, huh?" Angela commented.

"Ever since he turned ten."

"All boys go through their phases."

"This better be a phase, or me and him are going to have serious problems," Richard said as he turned back in to the kitchen.

Jane and Angela walked outside. Maggie had opened the doors and was sitting with Evelyn in the back seat. Richie was sitting in the front of the steering wheel pretending to drive.

"Where to, ladies?" he asked.

"The theater, please." Jane couldn't help but laugh at Maggie's attempt to sound upper-class.

"Oh yes, I hear there is a splendid performance of Romeo and Juliet this evening," Evelyn added, tossing her hands for effect.

"As you wish," Richie nodded his head and began to make sound effects that sounded more like a rocket taking off than a car on the street.

Frankie stood next to Angela, watching the other kids. Jane wanted to comment on his lack of participation, but decided against it.

"It's a nice car, Jane."

"I know. It will be so nice when the kids get out of school. I've been planning mini-day trips for us since I found out that it was mine."

"It would have been nice to have been able to take you and your brothers out like that. This car will be a real treat for all of you."

Jane placed her arm around her mothers and smiled. Raising the three of them had been anything but easy, but she had somehow managed to give them a wonderful childhood. She respected her mother so much for that. "We did ok without the day trips, Ma."

"We did, didn't we?"

Angela patted Jane's hand and they stood like that for a moment watching the children play. Jane knew that there were things about her life that she would change, but everything in her yard right now were things that she could never live without.

_Ok, this chapter is a little bit shorter but only because everything that happens next needs to be it's own. I also want to add that school has officially started back and it's already a little crazy. I promise that I am going to write whenever I can. I'm still in love with this piece and I hope you'll stick with me! Thank you so much for the reviews and follows and favorites on the past couple of chapters. I hope you enjoyed it and as always, thanks for reading!_


	21. Coming Home

_It's short and I apologize for that, but an anon on Tumblr asked me to post it, so I did. I don't really love this chapter, but I think you'll see that we're approaching a turning point. :) Sorry for the wait, but I should be able to squeeze in a few chapters soon! Thanks for reading!_

Chapter 21

"Coming Home"

Maura and Joseph were able to bring Amelia home on the fourth day. Maura was so ready to be in her own bed—no nurses wandering into the room in the middle of the night or scratchy hospital blankets. The whole ride home her mind kept drifting to thoughts of lying in her own bed snuggled next to Amelia and Evelyn. She had also found that she missed being able to walk next door and talk to Jane. Over the past few weeks of their friendship she had become accustomed to divulging almost every detail of her personal life to Jane. It had been strange not being able to talk to her, to see her face in relaxed conversation.

They pulled into the driveway about an hour before Evelyn was expected to be home. Maura wanted to go right over to Jane's house, but decided to take Amelia inside instead. Joseph turned the lock and they all three walked inside.

"This is your house, sweetheart," Maura cooed. She walked to the nursery and turned on the light. "And this is your room."

Amelia's eyes were open, listening to every word. Maura found immense pleasure in the alertness. She had been so terrified that she would never see this moment realized after what happened to Will; it made the moment so much more surreal.

She pulled her in closer, rocking her gently, talking to her about everything and nothing at the same time. The nursery walls were bare, to remain gender neutral, but now ideas of everything she could do to the bedroom floated through her mind. She imagined white lace curtains with pink ribbon trim, tiny rose colored sheets in the crib, and little flowers painted as a border on the wall. "We're going to have so much fun," Maura smiled. The corners of Amelia's mouth turned up, and Maura pretended that it was a smile.

Joseph appeared in the doorway, breaking the moment. She felt a little let down. It was strange, but she felt like she didn't want to share her.

"Do you want me to take her so you can lie down until Evelyn gets home?"

Maura shook her head. She was far too excited for that. She had only just begun to get to know Amelia, she couldn't stop now. "I think I'll wait until later. I am kind of hungry though. Would you mind making me something?" She flashed her best dimpled smile at him.

"Not at all. What would you like?"

"Surprise me."

His laughter floated down the tiny hallway as he left the room, Maura feeling only slightly guilty for sending him away.

"Now, where were we?" Maura sank into the rocker and talked about all of the endless possibilities with her room, games that she could play with Evelyn when she was a bit older, and books they could read together, and any topic that crossed Maura's mind. She only wanted to keep those two tiny eyes trained on her face as long as she could. Anything to let Maura know that she was here, she was real, and she was alive.

Amelia was everything she had hoped for, and so much more. She thought that moving to Brookside and having another baby would repair her relationship with Joseph, but she was slowly realizing that her feelings for him were not changing. But it had brought Maura to so many better things. She was becoming a person that she actually liked, and then there was Jane. Jane was definitely one of the best things that could have ever happened to her. She was supportive and fearless and bold and caring and gorgeous and loving and absolutely perfect. No wonder she wanted to spend so much time with her.

Maura thought about her laugh and how full of life it was. She could see her now tossing her head back with her lips slightly parted, dimples marking her cheeks and deep voice reverberating off of every surface making Maura's insides feel like goo. Jane didn't hold back with her, and that made Maura love her even more. She was real and honest and unlike anything Maura had every experienced. She knew that after getting to know the real Jane, she wasn't entirely sure if she could live without her.

The baby cooed in Maura's arms eliciting the largest smile from Maura. Tears sprang to her eyes and she kissed her tiny forehead lightly. Her life was complete now. Evelyn, Jane, and Amelia had been able to piece her back together. What's funny is that she didn't even know she was broken. They were her girls, and she knew that they were all she would ever need.


End file.
